Court puts brakes on MBTA contract injunction request

http://www.bostonherald.com/news_opinion/local_coverage/2015/05/court_puts_brakes_on_mbta_contract_injunction_request

Court puts brakes on MBTA contract injunction request
Chris Cassidy
Thursday, May 28, 2015

A losing bidder who claimed the Patrick administration gave a company operated by the Communist Chinese government the “inside track” on a lucrative contract to manufacture Red and Orange Line subway cars was dealt a legal setback yesterday.

Superior Court Judge Mitchell Kaplan yesterday denied rival Hyundai Rotem’s request for a preliminary injunction — which would have halted the $566.6 million subway car contract between the MBTA and China CNR Corp., signed in the final weeks of Gov. Deval Patrick’s term, to produce 284 subway cars.

Hyundai Rotem attorney Larry Varn said he had not yet read or received the decision and declined comment but noted the overall lawsuit is still pending.

China CNR outbid all rivals, including second-place South Korea-based Hyundai Rotem, by $155 million. The company claims former Secretary of Transportation Richard Davey met privately with officials from a CNR joint venture during a “trade mission” to Hong Kong and that bid requirements were relaxed to favor CNR.