Expressions of interest invited for the Richmond-Airport-Vancouver Rapid Transit Project (RAVP), deadline 14th February, 2003, into a long term public-private partnership for the design, construction, financing, operation and maintenance of a new rapid transit line connecting downtown Vancouver and central Richmond, with an east/west connection to Sea Island and the Vancouver International Airport. The total length will be approximately 19 km, involving segments in tunnels, at grade, elevated and on new bridges. The location and extent of any tunnel has not been determined. Construction to start in second half of 2004 for entry in service in 2009.The project team anticipates selecting a shortlist of up to four respondents who will be invited to participate in the next stage. Contact Richmond-Airport-Vancouver Rapid Transit, 5650 Lougheed Hwy., Burnaby B.C., Canada V5B 2Z8 or David W. Rowat, Procurement Manager, tel. +1 604 484 7287 or 604 2400061, fax +1 604 2910854, e-mail rfei@rapidtransit.bc.ca or drowat@rapidtransit.bc.ca 51/02.The four shortlisted proponents for the rail rapid transit system between Richmond, the Vancouver International Airport and Vancouver are RAVLink Transportation including Fluor Canada, Siemens, Aecon Infrastructure and First Transit Inc.; RAVRail including Alstom and Ledcor Projects Inc.; RAVxpress with Bombardier, Amec and Bouygues Travaux Publics as team members; and SNC-Lavalin / Serco.The Request for Proposals (RFP) has been sent to the four proponents, who are expected to respond by December 2003. Two finalists will be selected and asked to submit final proposals. One successful team will be chosen. The full procurement process is estimated to take approximately two years, until early spring 2005. A construction phase followed by system testing and commissioning will result in the system being operational by late 2009, in time for the winter Olympic Games in early 2010.RAVCO has been established as a special purpose company to oversee the design and construction. The line will be developed as a design, build, finance, operate and maintain contract. It is 19.5 km-long, with 18 stations running in twin tunnel from either 46th Avenue or 49th Avenue to the downtown Vancouver terminus. It is envisaged that there would be three tunnel drives using six TBMs. The TBMs will be EPB and slurry shields. The tunnel diameter would be 5 to 5.7 m. Sections 1 and 2 would be approximately 3 km in length and section 3 would be around 2.9 km. Cross passages will be built between both tubes. Approximately 2.8 million cubic metres of spoil will be generated in the tunnels and stations. Visit www.ravprapidtransit.com 38/03.SNC-Lavalin and Serco Group have been selected to build, partly finance, operate and maintain the Richmond-Airport-Vancouver (RAV) line, a major mass transit system in the Vancouver area. The project still requires approval from British Colombia's government. The provincial government is slated to make a decision early in December. The JV has provided the best-value proposal, meeting service and performance standards at the lowest cost. The funding agencies and the private sector are currently committed to investing over CAD1.55 billion (2003 dollars) to build the line (CAD1.35 billion from the public sector and about CAD200 million from the private sector).The 19.5 km line would link suburban Richmond, Vancouver International Airport and the city's downtown, serving 17 stations. The line would run underground from Waterfront Station to Cambie Street and 63rd Avenue in Vancouver and then on an elevated track to the Airport terminus and Richmond Centre, with the Richmond portion running along the east side of No. 3 Road. It is scheduled for completion by November 2009 to be in place before the 2010 Winter Olympics. Construction must begin no later than August 2005 to meet the deadline. Click ca/24. Visit www.ravprapidtransit.com and www.snc-lavalin.com 48/04.