(Repeat story published on Wednesday)
TOKYO, April 6 (Reuters) - Financial services provider Orix Corp 8591.T and French partner Vinci SA SGEF.PA have been shortlisted in an auction of the rights to manage five toll roads in central Japan, sources with knowledge of the process said.
Japan's Aichi prefecture, home for Toyota Motor Corp 7203.T , is trying to sell the rights to run the toll roads for at least 120 billion yen ($1.1 billion).
Other groups shortlisted in the auction include contractor Maeda Corp 1824.T allied with Australia's Macquarie Group MQG.AX , and a consortium led by Kumagai Gumi Co 1861.T , said the sources, who asked not to be identified because they are not authorized to speak to media.
The second round of bidding for the rights to operate the toll roads will close in May, with the winning bid to be decided in June, said an Aichi prefecture official.
The contracts to run the roads will last up to 30 years.
Representatives of the bidding companies declined to comment, and officials from Aichi prefecture would provide no further details.
The sale of the rights to run government-owned toll roads would be a first in Japan.
The country, however, has been gradually privatising airports under the leadership of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who has pledged to accelerate the privatisation of state assets.
Orix, with partner Vinci, this month started running the Kansai International Airport, Japan's fifth busiest, after winning the right for 2.2 trillion yen last year.
Maeda will start running the Sendai Airport in northern Japan in July in a consortium led by railway operator Tokyu Corp 9005.T .
($1 = 110.4500 yen)