It is reported that the Sofia Municipality wants to use light metro technology for the third planned metro line (in green) in order to save money.

As per report, six firms have applied to be selected to plan the third line of the subway of the Bulgarian capital Sofia. The tender includes researching the traffic and transport intensity as well as drafting a project for building a Light Metro line from the Knyazhevo Quarter through the downtown of Sofia to the Botevgradsko Shose Blvd near the Levski Quarter.

The Light Metro is a rail transport concept in some European countries, also known as a medium capacity system, an intermediate system between light rail and heavy rail.

The firms applying carry out the engineering design of the third Sofia Metro line are Poiri Infra of Germany, Metroproekt Praga Jsc of Czech Republic, Metro Consultant IBERINSA - Eurotransport MKIE, Mott Mcdonald Limited of UK, Proetechno SA and Eptisa Servicios de Ingenieria.

Three other companies have also submitted applications for the tender but have failed to observe the deadline.

The third metro line in Sofia will be long about 21 kilometers. To save money, the Sofia Municipality is considering the light metro option which most likely will entail ground rail at the two ends of the line, and an underground section in the very downtown of the city. The Sofia Municipality has made estimates about light and regular metro lines for three slightly different routes.

The cost for the light metro option is between EUR 260 million and EUR 310 million, and the cost of the regular, underground metro line would be between EUR 780 million and EUR 850 million. At present, the Sofia Metro has only one operational line, and another one under construction.

(Sourced from www.novinite.com)