Argentina to open bids in $650 mln railway project

BUENOS AIRES, April 9 (Reuters) - Argentina will open the bidding for a $650 million project to modernize a busy train line this week, the government said on Wednesday, in the latest project to upgrade the country's dilapidated railways.

The project is to electrify the San Martin commuter line linking Buenos Aires to its northern suburbs and upgrade signaling and other infrastructure along the 35-mile (55-km) route, which is currently operated by diesel locomotives.

"The official budget totals $650 million," the Transport Secretariat said in a statement, adding that President Cristina Fernandez would launch the bidding process on Thursday.

About 4 million passengers travel every month on the San Martin line, which has been in state hands since 2005, when the operating company was stripped of its contract.

In recent months, the center-left government has embarked on several rail projects, including the construction of a high-speed link connecting the capital with two other cities and the overhaul of another key commuter line.

Opposition politicians have criticized the multimillion-dollar high-speed train project, to be built by a consortium led by France's Alstom (ALSO.PA: Quote, Profile, Research), saying the money would be better spent on upgrading rundown commuter routes, which are plagued by delays and overcrowding. (Reporting by Lucas Bergman; writing by Helen Popper, editing by Gerald E. McCormick)