BES Engineering to build Taipei-CKS airport MRT line

Taipei, Jan. 22, 2003 (CENS)--Chairman Shen Ching-ching of BES Engineering Corp. will call on Minister of Transportation and Communications Lin Ling-san today to confirm his plan to construct a mass rapid transit system between Chiang Kai-shek International Airport and Taipei.

Minister Lin said that that Shen already phoned him to express his willingness to pick up the job left by the highest bidder Evertransit International Co., which lost its priority contract negotiation rights with the government in late December after its failure to raise NT$5 billion and gain a bank loan to finance the project.

BES Engineering lost to Evertransit in the first round of open bidding for the build-operate-transfer (BOT) construction project six years ago. The prolonged delay in the project has come under severe attacks from opposition lawmakers.

Lin said the MOTC welcomes any potential constructors as long as they can carry out the construction in compliance with the law and the terms of the contract.

After Evertransit dropped out of the picture, BES Engineering (the second-highest bidder) is required to respond to the MOTC's 's Bureau of Taiwan High Speed Rail within 15 days after being notified of making its official decision on the project.

The bureau formally notified BES Engineering that it was the second-highest bidder on Jan. 14, and the company must give formal reply to the bureau by Jan. 28.

The blueprint put forth by BES Engineering six years ago was a 36.8-kilometer route with eight stations built along the freeway and river dikes linking the CKS International Airport and Taipei.

The construction plan with the eight stops, including Taipei City, Shanchung, Wuku, Linkouk, Luchu, Taoyuan and the airport, would be finished in three and a half years at a cost of NT$60.3 billion. It will take 28 minutes of travel time from the airport to Tacheng Street of Taipei City.

BES Engineering plans to join hands with landowners in the designated stations to build commercial facilities like shopping mall. The Core Pacific Group, parent of BES Engineering, has already opened Core Pacific Living Mall shopping center in Taipei.