The ambitious metro system project has not been shelved and is still on the cards, Transport Minister Aaron Farrugia insisted on Wednesday.
“The metro project is far from shelved but before spending millions on geological studies which will have to be conducted, we are in discussions with our foreign consultants to determine its long-term feasibility,” Farrugia said when asked for the latest developments on the project.
He explained that this study will be used by the government for its final decision on whether to move ahead.
“We have studies that show it can be done from the technical aspect and we also know how much it will cost, between €4.5 and €6.2 billion. But now we need to determine whether the economic model is feasible. Once we have those numbers, we will decide whether to move on with the project,” he said.
“Whatever the decision, we will have to act as the country badly needs a mass transportation system,” he added.
He announced that the government will embark on discussions with Malta Public Transport early in the new year to discuss routes, frequencies, and the public transport service as a whole, especially now that commuting is free for all.
The metro project, with a three-line underground metro system and 25 stations around Malta, was unveiled in October last year.
The proposed network would take 15 to 20 years to build, according to studies by London-based consultants Arup Group. A proposed first phase would cost €3.9 billion and could be operational in five to eight years.
The system would incorporate three lines, covering 35km of track, running from Buġibba to Pembroke, Birkirkara to Valletta and Mater Dei to Cospicua. It will be entirely underground except for a short stretch between Naxxar and Buġibba.
Stations will be located at hubs across Malta's main urban area but the network will not extend to Gozo after the studies concluded that a population increase of 50,000 on the smaller island would be necessary to make the link viable.
According to feasibility studies that have already been published by the consultants, the financial benefits of the light metro for Malta will outweigh the costs after 37 years of operation. At full capacity, the metro lines would be able to carry about 54 million passengers annually.
The study said that a public-private partnership, rather than the government seeking conventional procurement at an agreed price or coming to a concession arrangement, would likely yield the most advantageous results.