Feds reject CAF’s review request

I smell a lawsuit coming.

Federal officials on Friday rejected a Metro contractor’s bid to preserve its $330 million deal to supply rail cars, setting the stage for possible litigation over the soon-to-be-canceled contract.

Dorval R. Carter Jr., the chief counsel of the Federal Transit Administration, said the contractor, CAF USA, failed to provide any new facts or points of law in its Sept. 17 request.

The company, a subsidiary of a Spanish firm, had asked the FTA to reconsider its determination that the Metropolitan Transit Authority had conducted the rail car procurement improperly. Metro must cancel the contract with CAF USA and solicit new proposals to be eligible for federal funding to build two light rail lines, the FTA said.

Nell McGarity, a spokeswoman for CAF USA, said the company would have no immediate comment.

Actually, I’m sure that there’s a number Metro could whisper into CAF’s ear to make this all go away. Not too big a number, I hope – surely CAF sees that it’s unlikely to gain much by rolling the dice in the courts. But a little something for their trouble, to send them off happy. Then maybe Metro can try to collect some of that from Frank Wilson.

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