Firms entangled in duel for Beijing-Shanghai railway bid.

(From Business Daily Update)

Author: x The Beijing-Shanghai high-speed railway is still at approval stage by central government, but international firms are making last ditch efforts to win the order. The designs and schemes of the project are waiting for approval from the State Council, and then for last nod from the National People's Congress, said Sa Shuli, professor with Beijing Jiaotong University and consultant to the Ministry of Railways. But he said it is hard to tell the exact time of the final approval. French giant Alstom Chairman and chief executive officer Patrick Kron said in Paris that the firm is willing to transfer its "complete technology" to China, which could give Alstom a huge advantage in winning the order. That means Alstom will help Chinese enterprises to produce the same high-tech trains as it does itself. Earlier last month, Alstom China's vice-president Lu Yuebing said the firm is confident of winning the bid with its TGV (French high-speed train) technology. The company is capable of providing trains carrying 1,000 passengers at a speed of 350 kilometres per hour, Lu …