Fresh progress in getting Jaén tram up and running. The Contracting Board has awarded the service operation to the joint venture of Spanish operator Grupo Ruiz and Portuguese firm Barraqueiro.
The board deemed the sole defect flagged in March rectified, thus concluding a protracted and bumpy tender process dogged by the disqualification of the top two bids: Alsa and Avanza.
Alsa was binned for failing to provide timely proof of a security subcontractor’s accreditation—a call upheld by the Administrative Tribunal for Contractual Appeals.
Avanza followed suit, ruled out for lacking a registered Equality Plan at the required juncture, despite submitting it within the rectification window.
The Ruiz–Barraqueiro JV, originally third in line, clinches it with a bid of €10.9m, undercutting the €14.7m budget ceiling. The deal covers full-system operation: driving, ticketing management, and maintenance oversight.
This 4.7km network with ten stops will link the hospital, university, and City of Justice. Service debut will finally bring into passenger use an infrastructure completed 15 years ago but mothballed ever since.
System testing has pressed on sans operator, but no opening date is set yet. The tender kicked off aiming for a 2025 launch.