The transportation department said on Tuesday it will rebid a P30-billion contract to supply 120 new trains for Light Rail Transit Line 1 within the month.

"We are working with the Japanese government to accelerate it (bidding), we are planning to launch it within the month," Transportation Undersecretary Noel Kintanar said.

Last April, the transportation department announced bidding failed for the purchase of new trains for LRT Line 1 after no company submitted bids.

The agency earlier identified Marubeni Corp. and Sumitomo Corp. as prospective bidders for the procurement of 120 brand-new LRVs.

Only Japanese companies or groups were allowed to participate in the auction, as the project will be funded through a loan from Japan International Cooperation Agency.

The winning bidder will cover the technical design of coaches, procurement of materials required for manufacturing the LRVs and ensure compliance with technical specifications through tests.

The 120 LRVs will be configured into 30 four-car train sets to allow the rail line to accommodate up to 750,000 passengers daily. DMS