Negotiated procedure, deadline 15th June, 2006 for design, build, finance and maintain contract for the Liefkenshoek railway link in Antwerp between the harbour area on the left bank of the Escaut and the existing railway network on the right bank. The total length is 16.2 km, whereof 8 km in tunnel (partially bored). Read E-News Weekly 42/2005. Visit http://ted.publications.eu.int/udl?request=Seek-Deliver&language=en&docid=083743-2006, OJ S 79, or contact Infrabel, Brussels, fax +32 25254071. E-mail gp@infrabel.be 18/06.Negotiated procedure, deadline 25th August, 2006 for geotechnical surveying (40 core drills and lab tests) along the alignment of the second rail link under the Escaut river. The project forms part of the Liefkenshoek railway link in Antwerp between the harbour area on the left bank of the Escaut and the existing railway network on the right bank. Read E-News Weekly 42/2005. Visit http://ted.europa.eu/udl?request=Seek-Deliver&language=en&docid=161204-2006, OJ S 149, or contact Tuc Rail, Brussels, fax +32 25297943 or 25297810. E-mail dmc@tucrail.be 33-34/06.SMET Boring received a EUR500,000 contract for geotechnical surveying (40 core drills and lab tests) along the alignment of the second rail link under the Escaut river. The project forms part of the Liefkenshoek railway link in Antwerp between the harbour area on the left bank of the Escaut and the existing railway network on the right bank. Read E-News Weekly 42/2005. Visit www.smetboring.be 19/07.The EUR845 million Liefkenshoek railway connection project involves the construction and maintenance of the civil infrastructure for a new 16.2 km freight-only railway, whereof 8 km in tunnel, linking the western docks and eastern docks of Antwerp. The project is a design, build, finance and maintain type agreement, with a maturity period of 41½ years (3½ years for construction up to availability plus 38 years after the achievement of availability for maintenance). The promoter for the project is Infrabel. The three shorlisted teams submitted their offers in mid-June and the contract is expected to be awarded next fall. The bidders are: Besix and Eiffage; the Locorail consortium formed by BAM PPP Investments, VINCI Concessions, VINCI Construction Grands Projets and CFE; and Bouygues, Strabag, Jan de Nul, Zueblin and Macquarie. Work will take place from 2008 to 2012. 28/08.The EUR841 million PPP contract to build the 16.2 km-long Liefkenshoek twin-track rail link was awarded in November, 2008 to the Locorail consortium, formed by BAM PPP (50%), CFE (25%) and Vinci Concessions (25%). Belgian rail infrastructure manager Infrabel will rent the link for 38 years at around EUR50 million/year before assuming full ownership. The alignment includes the existing 1,475 m-long Beveren tunnel and almost 6 km of double-bored 7.3 m ID tunnel under the Schelde river. Work started in late-2008 and will be completed in mid-2013 for handover by mid-2014. Click be/20. Visit www.infrabel.be. 08/09.