Will drive 3.1 km over next three years to explore geological conditions for the 15 km Mt Ceneri base tunnel. Has advanced more than 2 km at 6 m/day. April 1999.   Mt Ceneri is on southern access to Gotthard base tunnel. Sigrino exploration drive underway on a 30 sq m single face to one side of the main tunnel alignment and should be completed end-2000. Contractor LGU using Tamrock drillrig for drill/blast with rockbolt support and steel arches in places. Main drive should start in 2005. Visit www.alptransit.ch April 2000.  Public hearings into the 2 x 15.4 km Ceneri base tunnel will be held from 2nd April to 16th May, 2003. The main worksite will start in Sigirino where a launch cavern for each tube is planned to start tunnelling. The full lengths of both tubes will be driven with two TBMs except a section in the Valcolla area to be blasted. The alignment on the north side bifurcates from the Bellinzona-Locarno line shortly after the Giubiasco station to enter in tunnel in Vigana between Camorino and San Antonino. On the south side, connection to the existing line will be in Vezia. Around 4 millions cubic metres of spoil will be removed and recycled. The CHF2.2 billion tunnel is part of the second phase of AlpTransit. Work to commence in 2006 for opening in 2016. Visit www.alptransit.ch 14/03.CHF1.3 billion has been allocated to the 15.4 km Ceneri base tunnel, which will be constructed as two single-track tubes, fully equipped. A scheduled building in phases has been discarted because, although this would have saved CHF155 million in the short term, extra costs of CHF334 million would have been necessary later to equip the second tube. Also, a building in phases would have reduced the capacity of the tunnel by 60%. The federal department for environment, transport, energy and communication (DETEC) is expected to approve the designs in mid August. Preliminary works could start next fall and the main works in 2006-2007. The Ceneri tunnel is part of the Gotthard AlpTransit line, since its approval at a referendum vote in 1992 confirmed in 1998. The cost is estimated at CHF2 billion (1998 price). Visit www.bav.admin.ch and www.alptransit.ch/pages/img/aktuell/Info_Ceneri_f.pdf 26/05.On 30th April, 2007, AlpTransit San Gottardo and CMC (Consorzio Monte Ceneri), a consortium whose partners are Swiss contractors CSC, Frutiger, and Rothpletz, Lienhard + Cie, signed a contract for the first underground works at the Ceneri base tunnel. The contract is worth CHF85 million (VAT not included) and encompasses tunnelling of the Sigirino access adit and an operating cavern. The contract has been signed slightly less than one year after the first stone of the Ceneri tunnel was laid on 2nd June, 2006 and further to 12 months of preparatory work for the Ceneri base tunnel, at Camorino and Sigirino construction sites. Tunnelling will commence next autumn and will last a bit more than two years. The 15.4 km-long Ceneri base tunnel connects Camorino with Vezia and is one of the key links of the plain line. It is scheduled to open in 2019. Read E-News Weekly 18/2003. Visit www.alptransit.ch, www.csc-sa.ch, www.frutiger.ch and www.rothpletz.ch 19/07.The contract for the construction of the Ceneri base tunnel from the northern portal, in Camerino, has been awarded to the Matro sud consortium headed by Pizzarotti teaming up with Ennio Ferrari, LGV, Cossi Costruzioni and Rodio Geotechnik. The consortium presented an offer of CHF103 million for the main northern lot consisting of a tunnel that will emerge on the Vigana hill under highway A2 where a double portal for three tracks will be constructed (two tracks for the new Alptransit railroad and one for the Locarno-Lugano line). Construction is programmed to commence on 6th October, 2008. Visit www.pizzarotti.it, www.ennio-ferrari.ch, www.lgv-sa.ch, www.cossi.com and www.rodio.chThe project will take place in three phases. First, an approach trench will be built in the slope that, from the valley, will lead to the tunnel site. Then, once the portal area is ready, some 50 metres will be excavated in soft ground just under the A2. From that point, crews will cut the rock through Mount Ceneri on an overall length of about 700 metres consisting of two tubes and a cavern system. The three large caverns, with width up to 23 m and height of 14 m, will be excavated by traditional methods. They will accommodate tracks for the south-north line, the north-south line and the Vigana connection that will be the interchange between north-south high speed lines and the local traffic. Click here for more details. Excavation will take place in soft soil using jet grouting and in rock using explosives. The supports will mainly consist of anchoring bolts, shotcrete, welded mash and steel arches. The final lining will be an inner concrete ring. Visit www.alptransit.ch 29/08.

The CPV consortium, formed by CSC SA (Lugano) and Pizzarotti SA (Bellinzona), signed the EUR43 million contract for the construction of Lot 854 at Vezia, the main lot of Ceneri Base Tunnel, including the south portal, 200 m of cut-and-cover tunnel, as well as drilling, blasting and lining both tunnels along a length of 300 m. Works at Vezia will continue until 2016. Commercial operation of the Ceneri Base Tunnel with scheduled train services is planned to start at the end of 2019. Of the total of 40.19 km of the Ceneri Base Tunnel, at the end of February 2010, 7,673 m, or 19.1%, had been excavated. Visit www.alptransit.ch, www.csc-sa.ch and www.pizzarotti.ch. 10/10.

Open invitation to tender, deadline 03.09.2012, for counselling and assistance during security analysis for ventilation, smoke ventilation, safety exits and underground stations in the following railway tunnels: Gotthard base tunnel (ch/17) from 2014 to 2017, 800 hours; Ceneri Base Tunnel (ch/14) from 2012 to 2017, 850 hours; Loewenstrasse station and Weinberg tunnel (ch/37) on cross link in Zurich (DML) from 2013 to 2015, 350 hours; tunnel on CEVA line (ch/40) at Geneva from 2013 to 2017, 900 hours. For more, visit http://www.simap.ch/shabforms/servlet/Search?NOTICE_NR=741257. Contact BAV, Safety Dept, Berna, e-mail beschaffung@bav.admin.ch. Visit http://ted.europa.eu/udl?request=Seek-Deliver&language=en&docid=231258-2012. 30/12.

On 14.03.2104 the Swiss Federal Administrative Court has partly upheld both of the appeals against the awards made by AlpTransit Gotthard Ltd of the railway systems lots "Railway Track & Logistics" and "Railway Systems & Overall Coordination". The contested awards have been annulled and returned to AlpTransit Gotthard Ltd for reconsideration. AlpTransit Gotthard Ltd will analyse these decisions and decide how it will proceed in the next few days. Visit http://www.alptransit.ch/en/media/press-releases/vergaben-bahntechnik-am-ceneri-basistunnel-bundesverwaltungsgericht-heisst-beschwerden-teilweise-gut-986.html?cHash=ba68fd7817d795d431f0a610d7dfea31. 14/14.

The Swiss Federal Supreme Court has upheld two appeals against decisions of the Swiss Federal Administrative Court of March, 2014 in connection with the award of railway infrastructure systems for the Ceneri Base Tunnel. The judgements of the Federal Administrative Court have been annulled. The original decisions of AlpTransit Gotthard Ltd for the awards are confirmed: Railway Track & Logistics lot to the Mons Ceneris Consortium, under the lead management of Mancini&Marti AG, Bellinzona ; the Railway Systems & Overall Coordination lot to the CPC Consortium, under the lead management of Cablex AG, Berne.

The formerly planned date for opening the Ceneri Base Tunnel to commercial traffic along with the revised railway timetable in December, 2019 therefore remains the goal of AlpTransit Gotthard Ltd. Click ch/14 for tunnelbuilder archive. Visit http://www.alptransit.ch/en/media/press-releases/bahntechnik-am-ceneri-basistunnel-1019.html. 38/14.

Open invitation to tender, deadline 14.09.2015, for supply, installation, operation and test of ventilation equipment in Ceneri basis Tunnel, lot 890 C. Duration of contract from 01.06.2016 to 31.08.2019. Contact AlpTransit Gotthard AG, Lucerne, tel +41 (0)41 226 06 97-00; specs and docs from Ingenieurgemeinschaft ITC (Itecsa – Toscano), attn Eng Davide Merlini, Lugano, e-mail davide.merlini@piniswiss.com. Visit http://ted.europa.eu/udl?request=Seek-Deliver&language=en&docid=121227-2015, GU S 067. 25/15.

Open invitation to tender, deadline 22.03.2019, for test drives to be done in Ceneri Base Tunnel. Duration of the contract is from 01.03.2020 to 31.08.2020. Further information from

http://www.simap.ch/shabforms/servlet/Search?NOTICE_NR=1061297 (german) and/or http://www.simap.ch/shabforms/servlet/Search?NOTICE_NR=1062359

(french).Contact CFF Voyageurs P-OP-FSE-PTF-SEF, attn. Markus Roethlisberger, Bern, tel  +41 79 223 14 29,  email roethlisberger.markus@sbb.ch. Visit http://ted.europa.eu/udl?request=Seek-Deliver&language=en&docid=092004-2019.

09/19.

Open invitation to tender, deadline 13/09/2021, for the general management for the Sigirino access adit. For tender documents click here (Italian) and/o here (French). Tenders must be sent to Ferrovie Federali svizzere FFS Infrastruttura, acquisti, supply chain e produzione,  attn Elisa Bartesaghi,  Bellinzona, email elisa.bartesaghi@sbb.ch. Duration of the contract is from from  17.01.2022 to  31.12.2024. Contact Infrastruttura - Progetti di ampliamento e rinnovo - Gestione progetti -Regione Sud, attn Cristian Reveruzzi , Bellinzona, email cristian.reveruzzi@sbb.ch . For further on the tender please click here30/21. 

To be driven in opposite directions from two shafts by 12.3 m-diameter Herrenknecht TBMs: one a hard rock, the other a dual-mode Mixshield slurry machine. First machine launched at Allmend Brunau shaft towards Thalwil, Sept 1998. 9.4 km long to connect with proposed Gotthard AlpTransit tunnel at Nidelbad. Contracting jv of Prader, Locher, Wayss & Freytag. Nov 1998.   Two TBMs now at work, with 12.29 m-diameter south drive machine 3 km into its 5.6 km drive having recorded a best day of 39.1 m or 23 rings while completing 673.2 m of tunnel in June, 1999. First 330 m of north drive being undertaken by second TBM in rock mode using disc cutters and conveyor belt. Following 150 m will be in slurry mode using hydraulic spoil pipelines to surface separation plant. Machine will then complete the bulk of the 2.7 km drive in rock mode in molasse. The final 700 m will be in soft mixed ground with extra drag picks on the cutterhead. Lining comprises seven bolted segments and key, 12.04 m outside diameter and 11.44 m internal diameter. Aliva pumps are used at both TBMs to pump pea gravel into the annulus. Segments are transported by converted Kiruna trucks. There are vehicle turntables behind each TBM. Zimmerberg will connect with AlpTransit Gotthard in a continuous tunnel, possibly using the same machines. Sept 1999.   South section TBM driving 5.6 km from Allmend Brunau to Nidelbad in typical Sweetwater molasse has passed the halfway point and completed 673.2 m in June, 1999 with a best day of 39.1 m or 23 rings. Conveyor capacity is 1,100 t/h using 1 m-wide belt at 2.2 m/sec. Major constraint is the rate at which spoil can be removed from site because only 13 trains/day can be handled. However, 100,000 t surface stockpile will smooth rockflow. First 330 m of 2.7 km north drive was in hard rock, then TBM was converted to slurry mode for 150 m following which it will revert to hardrock configuration. Visit www.herrenknecht.com November 1999.  Rail 2000 Thalwil junction and 900m/1,300m branch tunnels completed using drill/blast to connect with advancing cut and cover. TBM face in main tunnel left ready for AlpTransit drive to Nidelbad when finances are available. Herrenknecht TBMs completed drives in both directions from Allmend Brunau shafts and removed for storage. 27/02.

Basler & Hofmann AG Ingenieure Planer und Berater from Zurich secured the EUR642,536 Euro, excluding VAT, for the concept study for the 11 km Zimmerberg II base tunnel and the Meilibach tunnel. Duration of the contract is from 01.07.2018 to   31.03.2020. For further information http://www.simap.ch/shabforms/servlet/Search?NOTICE_NR=1020197. Contact SBB, attn Jogchem Dieleman, Lucerne, email jogchem.dieleman@sbb.ch. Visit http://ted.europa.eu/udl?request=Seek-Deliver&language=en&docid=229993-2018. Ref.n. 1149877. 22/18.

Open invitation to tender, deadline 16/03/2022, for general management and coordination of technical services - Pre-project phase – for the Zimmerberg 2 base tunnel, Nidelbad-Litti. The contract includes the Nidelbad widening work, the ZBT2 tunnel system with two 10.8km single-track tunnels and the cross connections, as well as the Litti connection with the tunnel portals, the connection to the existing track network and the turnaround facility. For further information http://www.simap.ch/shabforms/servlet/Search?NOTICE_NR=1237183 (German) and/or http://www.simap.ch/shabforms/servlet/Search?NOTICE_NR=1237201 (French). Tenders must be sent to CFF, attn Reto Braegger, Olten, email reto.braegger@sbb.ch. Duration of the contract is from 01/06/2022 to 31/12/2023. Contact CFF, attn Benjamin Karli, Olten, email benjamin.karli@sbb.ch. Visit http://ted.europa.eu/udl?request=Seek-Deliver&language=en&docid=016642-2022. Ref.n. 1161142. 03/22. 

PG ZBT2+ c/o AFRY Schweiz AG from Zurich have secured the CHF4.36 million contract, excluding VAT, for general management and coordination of technical services - Pre-project phase – for the Zimmerberg 2 base tunnel, Nidelbad-Litti. The contract includes the Nidelbad widening work, the ZBT2 tunnel system with two 10.8km single-track tunnels and the cross connections, as well as the Litti connection with the tunnel portals, the connection to the existing track network and the turnaround facility. For further information http://www.simap.ch/shabforms/servlet/Search?NOTICE_NR= 1266931.Contact Schweizerische Bundesbahnen SBB Infrastruktur, attn Benjamin Karli, Olten, email benjamin.karli@sbb.ch. Visit https://ted.europa.eu/en/notice/-/detail/317022-2022. Ref.n. 1161142. 24/22.

Open invitation to tender, deadline 12/09/2024, for general planning services from construction to commissioning for the Zimmerberg Base Tunnel 2 (ZBT2) project. The tunnel is approximately 10.8 km long and consists of two single-track tubes. It connects to the Zimmerberg Base Tunnel 1 and extends to the south portal Litti near Baar. The project is divided into the following areas: Nidelbad, tunnel and Deinikon/Litti. For further information http://www.simap.ch/shabforms/servlet/Search?NOTICE_NR=1419621. Duration of the contract is from 31/01/2025 to 31/12/2037. Contact SBB, att.ne Benjamin Karli, Zurigo, email einkauf.bauprojekte.ost@sbb.ch. Visit  https://ted.europa.eu/en/notice/-/detail/391919-2024. Ref.n. 1161142. 27/24.

3.3 m pilot bore followed by 1.2 km roadheader excavation as top heading and bench. For completion end-2001. August 1998.

Three contracts awarded worth over $160 million: Teerag-Asdag/Baresel/Locher for two caverns and two shafts; Dragados/SELI for two caverns; and Taylor Woodrow/Amec/Spie Batignolles for two tunnels total length 5 km and several caverns. Completion for 2005. February 1998. Work progressing well at three projects involving six shafts, 32 caverns and 6 km of tunnels. At point 1, the larger of two new experimental halls is UX15 with a span of 35 m. The second is USA15 with a span of 23 m which will be supported by 36 anchor tendons, each with 235 t breaking strain. At point 5, the 70 m-deep shafts are being sunk through 45 m of waterbearing moraine by freezing using recirculating brine at -25 degrees C. There are also two large caverns of widths 26.5 and 18 m with 250 m of connecting tunnels. In the vicinity of point 1 the first of two 2.5 km-long, 12 sq m tunnels is under construction as part of package 3 using an Alpine Westfalia WAV 50 roadheader with 100 t/h conveyor with best day performance of 12.5 m and average of 6 m. The second tunnel will be driven using a 3.8 m-diameter TBM. The rest of package 3 work is spread throughout the 27 km-long circular LEP ring and includes 700 m of minor tunnels, two shafts and 15 chambers. Total value $220 million. The existing LEP collider will close in October, 2000 to facilitate the upgrading work and will reopen as LHC in 2005. The new ring will then carry out some of the experiments for which the ill-fated Supercollider in the U.S. and the Protvino collider in Russia had been designed. Visit the world's first website, opened in 1989 at www.cern.ch May 2000.  Spie Batignolles/Sotrabas has purchased a SM 130-C roadheader from IBS of Germany with cutting performance 150kW, machine-integral slewing belt conveyor, and attachments for rockbolting. The machine will join the two modified AM 50 roadheaders already supplied. Visit www.cern.com July 2000.

4.14 km-long, 8 sq m horseshoe section advanced from both ends at 122 m/month/face beneath Ante Lebanon mountains from Aen Zarka to Al Balaa by contractors Banske Stavby of Prievidza, Slovakia and Takla-Weavers of Guernsey, UK. Holed 16th November, 1998. Generally in competent limestone of 9 – 62 Mpa using resin encapsulated rockbolts, steel arches, mesh and lagging. Some dry karst caverns encountered. Maximum overburden 200 m. One 10 m section was supported by micropiles and compensation grouted. Final lining of 20-30 cm-thick monolithic concrete under installation using 10 m telescopic slip formwork. Two vent shafts of 800 mm diameter by 58 m-deep and 108 m-deep installed for emergency escape. December 1999.

Feasibility study under way by Tehran Urban & Suburban Railway Company. March 1998.Restricted call for tenders, deadline 5th May, 2006 for technical assistance intended to make a recommendation on the preferred option for the implementation of the Green Line of the Damascus metro project in physical, technical, organizational and financial terms. This is the first metro line for Damascus, running on the busiest southwest to northeast axis of the city from Mezzeh to Qaboun, a distance of some 15 kilometres with some expected 22 stations. Visit http://ted.publications.eu.int/udl?request=Seek-Deliver&language=en&docid=062916-2006, OJ S 61, or contact European Investment Bank, Mr Stefan Kerpen, OPS B/FEMIP/Special Operations Division, Technical Assistance Unit (TAU), 100 boulevard Konrad Adenauer, L-2950 Luxembourg. 15/06.The six shortlisted candidates for the technical assistance intended to make a physical, technical, organizational and financial recommendation on the preferred option for the implementation of the Green Line of the Damascus metro are BCEOM / Semaly; C. Lotti & Associati / Geodata / Stipe; Italferr / Metropolitana Milanese; Sener / Mott MacDonald; Systra / Khatib & Alami Offshore; and WSP Group / DE-Consult / OPTIM Obermeyer Proje. The Green Line is the first metro line for Damascus, running on the busiest southwest to northeast axis of the city from Mezzeh to Qaboun, a distance of some 15 kilometres with some expected 22 stations. 42/06.The Governorate of Damascus and the Municipalities Ministry have awarded an engineering contract the first metro line to France's Systra and Khatib & Alami of Lebanon. The 14.8 km line will connect Mezzeh to Qaboun. The 18-month study will be financed by the European Investment Bank (EIB). The consultants will also look into the possibility to integrate three other lines to form a 52 km network in Damascus. Click sy/11. Visit www.systra.com and www.khatibalami.com 25/07.

Memorandum of understanding signed on 18th November, 2001 with contractors Daewoo, Hyundai, New Japan Steel, Vinci, and Spain's Global Champion to evaluate the feasibility of a US$100 billion project including an intercontinental transshipment centre and an undersea tunnel connecting central Taiwan to the Penghu islands in the Taiwan Strait. 49/01.

  Kumagai-Gumi to use 6.2 m-diameter Robbins TBM ex-Hong Kong Quarry Bay congestion relief works. Visit www.robbinstbm.com May 2000.  Breakthrough reported on 7th June, 2002 on a 6.5 km water tunnel, 6.2 m in diameter, for a hydroelectric project. Client is Taiwan Power. Contractors are New Asia and Kumagai Gumi. Excavation with a Robbins TBM. Support with steel rings, mesh and shotcrete. Geology consisted in sandstone and laminated mudstone. Construction started in April 2000. Stripping out of the TBM is underway, setting up of the concrete shuttering. Completion expected in 18 months. Cost of NT$ 12.4 billion. Visit www.taipower.com.tw and www.robbinstbm.com 27/02.

When completed, this 12.9 km twin tube with pilot tunnel which started in late-1991 will qualify cum laude for the Chamber of Horrors. Two 11.74 m-diameter Wirth TBMs and a 4.8 m-diameter Robbins TBM advancing from the east ran into geological problems in brittle sandstone. To date the pilot machine has suffered 10 face collapses which have had to be bypassed by hand mining, and the big machines also ground to a halt in December, 1997 after 653 m and 456 m of boring when 90 m of the westbound traffic tunnel collapsed aided by 750 lit/sec of water at 18 bar. Since then, all work has been by drill/blast, frequently in very wet and hazardous conditions in which an eleventh collapse of the pilot heading occurred. It is planned to restart the TBMs at some stage, possibly before 2000. Watch this space! April 1999.  Tamrock reports contractor RSEA is using its RMH 205 D rail jumbo to advance the Pinglin pilot tunnel. Visit www.tamrock.com for more product information. January 2000.Taiwan on 16th September, 2004 celebrated the final breakthrough, the eighth of its kind since 2000, of what is the world's 5th longest road tunnel. President Chen Shui-bian and Premier Yu Shyi-kun pushed a button to blast through the final portion of the eastbound tunnel. The 12.9 km Hsuehshan or Syueshan (Snow Mountain) tunnel is part of the 31 km Taipei-Ilan highway, or Beiyi freeway, which runs through mountains and river valleys in northeastern Taiwan. The Hsuehshan tunnel consists of two main tunnels (westbound and eastbound) and a pilot tunnel. Breakthroughs took place in July 1991 and October 2003 for the pilot tunnel, July 1993 and 14th March, 2004 for the westbound tunnel, and July 1993 and 16th September, 2004 for the eastbound tunnel.When initial work began on 15th July, 1991, small-sized TBMs were employed. In 1993, when work on the main tunnels began, two larger TBMs went into operation, one on the eastbound route and the other on the westbound route, both starting from the east portal. The machines cost roughly USD70.4 million. However, the tunnel drives were severely delayed by difficult geology, with fractured rock and massive inflows of water. Workers had also to deal with complex fault lines and other hazards that constantly delayed the project. Since work began 13 years ago, its completion date has had to be postponed four times because of countless cave-ins, floodings, mud and rock slides caused by massive inflows of groundwater. Eleven people were killed in the accidents. In order to speed up construction, drill/blast alternatives from additional working faces at the ventilation shaft II for all three tunnels and an additional drive at the interchange station II for the westbound tunnel were adopted. In December 1997, a large rush of water into the westbound lanes as well as a collapse forced to abandon the TBM, which was destroyed. The project had to be halted for one year. A smaller TBM was then used to complete the main portion of the westbound tunnel, which was achieved last year. As a result, the only TBM still being used was the one which bored its way through in the eastbound tube. That TBM completed a 6.8 km mountain section on 12th August, 2004.International experts stopped giving advice on how to tackle the painstaking project a few years ago, but Taiwan dug through the most difficult part - the eastward carriageway - of the tunnel. There were at least six geological faults and abundant groundwater in the section and the tunnel had to bore through very hard sandstone. This posed great challenges to the engineers. Once in just one day, the drilling heads of the jumbo had to be changed 13 times.The Hsuehshan tunnel will cut travelling time between Taipei and northeastern Ilan, passing through Pinglin and Luodong on the way, from more than two hours to just about 30 minutes. The Taipei-Ilan highway is scheduled to be officially opened at the end of next year, after the tunnel has been lined, and lighting, ventilation, power supply and traffic monitoring systems have been installed. Because of its complexity, the tunnel had to be built at all costs, for about USD1.8 billion.The world's longest road tunnel is the 24.5 km Laerdal in Norway, followed by the 18 km Zhongnanshan tunnel in China, presently under construction, the 16.9 km Gotthard tunnel in Switzerland and the 14 km Arlberg tunnel in Austria. Read E-News Weekly 12/2002. Visit www.motc.gov.tw 39/04.

  Commissioning of first section of planned five-line, 88 km system. 5.4 km Orange Line opened from Nanshih Ciao to Kuting. Red Line from Kuting to Taipei main station opened to connect with existing northern section of Red Line from main station to Tamsui. The southern section of Red Line will open shortly, following design improvements. April 1999.  Bilfinger & Berger reports completion of 4.5 km Chungho line with four stations six months ahead of schedule. Twin tracks in separate 6.1 m-diameter segmentally-lined tubes constructed using three TBMs. Stations built using cut-and-cover with diaphragm walls up to 55 m-deep and 1.2 m-thick braced by multiple layers of steel girders. Foundation piles 1.5 m-diameter and up to 80 m-deep will allow further overhead development. Visit www.bilfingerberger.de for more details. October 1999.Contract CG590C for the eastern end of Xindian-Songshan MRT Green Line, worth USD220 million, was signed with Da Cin Construction on 29th March, 2006. This 3.02 km-long section, scheduled to be completed at the end of October 2012, includes two underground stations (Nanjing Sanmin and Songshan), a crossover section, a tail-track work shaft and three shield-driven tunnel sections. The western edge of the construction begins from Taipei Stadium MRT station at the intersection of Nanjing East Road and Beining Road and is bounded on the east by the Songshan station tail-track work shaft on the west side of intersection of Bade Road and Yucheng Street.The external and internal diameters of the tunnel are 6.1 m and 5.6 m respectively. The tunnel central depth is comprised between 15.7 m and 28.1 m. Most of the tunnel path is located in soft to medium stiff silty clay layers. Underground water level depth is about 2 m. Three EPB shield TBMs will be used, with lining concrete rings consisting of six segments (K type:1 piece, B type: 2 pieces, A type: 3 pieces). Muck wagons for mucking-out.The tail-track work shaft is a cut-and-cover structure with dimension of 42.7 m x 19.1 m x 22.2 m (length x width x depth). The dimension of the Nanjing Sanmin station is 234 m x 36.7 m x 20.2 m (L x W x D). The dimension of the Nanjing Songshan station is 390 m x 23.6 m x 21.2 m (L x W x D). Tunnel construction period: April 2009-August 2010. The scheduled date for completion of other underground structures is January 2011.The Songshan line will connect Nangang line, Danshui line, Xinzhuang line and Muzha line. It will start from the west of Ximen station on the Nangang line. The total length of this line will be approximately 8.5 km featuring eight underground stations. When the line is completed in 2013, the trip from Songshan station to Ximen station will only take 15 minutes. Visit www.dorts.gov.tw/welcome.htm 27/06.For contract CG590B of the Songshan Line put out to tender by the Department of Rapid Transit Systems (DORTS), the tunnel length is 2,040 metres. There are four tunnels between stations G17 and G18 and G18 and G19. In G17-G18, the upper track has a length of 318.9 metres and the down track a length of 318.6 metres. In G18-G19, the upper track is 701.5 metres and the down track 701.4 metres. The external diameter of the tunnel is 6.1 m and the internal diameter is 5.6 m. Contract CG590B is located in the Taipei basin and the stratigraphic unit is Songshan formation of the Quaternary. The Songshan formation is alluvium deposits composed of silty clay and silty sand interbeds. The thickness of topsoil is about 2-3 metres and there are silty clay and silty sand by order under the topsoil. There are gravels until 55 metres deep.The construction method of the underground stations, the pocket track and the common duct is cut and cover while the tunnels will be bored by a shield tunnel boring machine.There are two underground stations (G18 and G19). The G18 is a three-basement underground station (21.87 m wide x 240 m long x 24.7 m deep). The G19 is also a three-basement underground station (25.95 m wide x 219 m long x 25 m deep). Other underground structures include one trumpet section (east side of G17), one pocket track (west side of G18) and one common duct. The trumpet section is 11.5-13 m wide, 90 m long and 20.5 m deep. The pocket track is 9 m wide, 365.3 m long and 24.7 m deep. The length of the common duct is 1,985 m, including 1,808 m in cut-and-cover, 177 m in pipejacking, a 4.7 m wide x 2.4 m high box structure east of Tuahwa North Road and a 2.4 m-wide x 2.4 m-high box structure west of Tuahwa North Road.The detail design consultant are Resources Engineering Services and CTCI Corporation. The project will be built between 10th July, 2006 and April 2013. The estimated amount of contract CG590B is TWD10,082,311,163. Contract CG590A of the Songshan Line is under design. Visit www.dorts.gov.tw/welcome.htm, www.res.com.tw and www.ctci.com.tw 28/06.Singapore Technologies Engineering (ST Engineering) announced that its electronics arm, Singapore Technologies Electronics (ST Electronics), has won a contract worth about SGD36 million from Marubeni for Taipei's Songshan and Xinyi mass rapid transit (MRT) lines. ST Electronics will design, supply, install and commission the MRT's communications system and the train-borne communications system for the two lines. The new communications system for the two new lines will be integrated into the existing systems of the Red/Green line network at the existing Operation Control Center (OCC). These state-of-the-art systems will facilitate an efficient, reliable and safe mode of transportation in Taipei city. ST Electronics will begin work on the 6.4 km Xinyi line with its six underground stations and the 8.5 km Songshan line with eight underground stations, in the first quarter of 2008. Completion is expected to be in 2012 and 2013 respectively. Visit www.stee.stengg.com or www.stengg.com and www.marubeni.com 50-51/07.

DORTS, Taipei's Department of Rapid Transit Systems, has awarded an integrated turnkey contract worth €334m for the first phase of the city's Circular Line automated metro. Ansaldo STS has received a €220m order to supply E&M equipment, including driverless technology and the metro signalling system CBTC Radio (Communications-Based Train Control), whilst AnsaldoBreda will supply 17 trains at a cost of €114m. The first stage of the Circular Line is 15.5 km-long with a depot and 13 elevated stations and one underground station, from Dapinglin to Wugu Industrial Park. This line connects with five MRT lines, the Xindian, Zhonghe, Banqiao, and Xinzhuang lines, and the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport Access MRT System. Its entry into service is expected by the end of 2015. The complete Circular Line is planned to be 52 km-long, connecting with 11 MRT lines and passing through 10 administrative districts of Taipei City and Taipei County. The remaining 36 km, of which over 20 km is underground, with 32 stations and two depots are to be built in two later stages. Click here for the map and visit http://english.taipei.gov.tw/dorts/index.jsp, www.ansaldo-sts.com and www.ansaldobreda.it 12/09.