Brazil HSR update

Interested contractors will participate in an "auction" May 2nd to determine the builder of the Rio-Sao Paulo HSR line. By auction I suppose this means the competitive bidding process. If the builder will be determined solely based on price, this will most likely favor the Korean contenders.

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN041 ... arketsNews

Korean sources are already expressing confidence, quoting a Brazilian official who believes Asian firms would build the line faster :

http://www.arirang.co.kr/News/News_View ... category=1

My strictly personal theory is that the line will be built by Asians and the equipment provided by Europeans. It makes sense. The Koreans (and now the Chinese) have extensive experience with building - quickly - through mountains. The only European country that have done a lot of tunelling in its HS programme is Spain - and this country also has a dismal record of late delivery of projects. Conversely, there appears to be a tacit understanding between the Brazilian and French governments concerning this project. The French helped secure the Olympics for Rio de Janeiro by swinging their Francophone voting block in IOC around. They'll have been promised a reward. And Alstom's brand new AGV train is one of the world's best, and can be acquired by the Brazilian government without anything looking fishy.