Depending on who you ask, Singapore train operator SMRT may have won its bid for a Light Rail Transit (LRT) project in Bandung, Indonesia, which was submitted on 9 September.
Indonesian media outlet Merdeka reported that Bandung Mayor Ridwan Kamil announced on 20 September that SMRT, which had previously passed the tender’s verification procedure, had been selected to build and operate the LRT corridor I.
But in a statement to the Singapore Exchange on 26 September, SMRT said it has not received any notification about winning the tender, reported The Business Times.
Mr Ridwan said the LRT corridor will connect Babakan Siliwangi to Leuwipanjang, and extend for approximately 11km. “The tender for the LRT corridor 1 and the prototype corridor from Stasiun to Dalem Kaum was won by SMRT,” he told reporters, adding that SMRT is the main train operator in Singapore.
Mr Ridwan said the next step is to sign the cooperation agreement as the Indonesian Government wants to get started on the project, and would like the groundbreaking to take place as soon as early-2017. He had posted on his Facebook account on 19 September that it is hoped that the LRT system will reduce the congestion in the city.
