What’s the real cost of the Honolulu’s possible deal with rail contractor Ansaldo Honolulu? It’s a lot more than the $574 million that city officials announced last week.
Chief rail planner Toru Hamayasu made a point of mentioning the additional cost in a press conference announcing the new contracts, but said at the time he didn’t know what it would be. Civil Beat examined the company’s proposal but found the pages of Ansaldo’s operations and maintenance plan that are available for public inspection are partially redacted.
“You should be able to find $339,056,303 as the cost of the first 5 years full operation,” chief rail planner Toru Hamayasu told Civil Beat in an email.
That means the city is planning to pay Ansaldo about $913 million — not $574 million. The Italian manufacturer will produce “core systems,” that include train cars and a command center. And if Ansaldo Honolulu gets the contract the city plans to award, it will also handle the first five years of operations and maintenance.
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