No bidders for high speed rail in Brazil in third attempt at estimated $35 billion boondoggle

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7/11/11, "No bids for Brazil's high-speed train," AP

"A Brazilian government auction for the rights to build a bullet train between Rio de Janeiro and metropolitan Sao Paulo

• has drawn no bids.

A lack of interest had forced the government to delay the auction twice before for the 317-mile (510-kilometer), high-speed train.

The project is one of the priorities for President Dilma Rousseff. She wants to see the train completed before the nation hosts the 2016 Olympics.

Three prospective bidders had asked the government to delay the latest auction. But the government pressed on in the hopes of attracting other interested parties.

The government says the train will cost about $22 billion. Some companies who've expressed interest say that cost would more likely hit about $35 billion."

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