Consortium to bid again for Mexico rail project

A Chinese-led consortium plans to retender for Mexico's $3.75 billion high-speed rail project, after the Latin American nation abruptly cancelled its earlier win, according to sources close to one of the firms involved.

Mexico revoked the contract awarded to the consortium, made up of China Railway Construction Corp, CSR Corp and four other Mexican firms, on Nov 7 after opposition lawmakers claimed it was fixed. The consortium's bid was uncontested. The country said it would re-run the tender later under the same terms.

"Will we continue to bid with CRCC? - that is a definite yes," said an official from CSR on Friday, who only wanted to be identified by his surname Xu.

A separate source close to the Chinese bid said CRCC was definitely going to tender again.

Xu declined to say whether the Mexican partners would remain in the consortium.

CRCC was "exceptionally shocked" by the cancellation of the contract and said it was looking at legal action to protect its rights.

Reuters