A JV between Mott MacDonald and Sudop Praha A.S. has been appointed by SZDC (Sprava Zeleznicni Dopravni Cesty) to carry out two studies for a new cross-border railway line that will connect Dresden in Germany with Ústi nad Labem and Litomerice in the Czech Republic. The new railway will be a part of the Trans European Transport Network’s Orient/East Med core corridor and the first section of the Czech Republic’s future high speed rail network, with a 20 km-long base tunnel crossing the Erzgebirge Mountains, a maximum speed of 200 km/h, and mixed traffic. The JV will carry out geotechnical investigations and perform environmental impact assessments for the route selection options. Preparatory works for design phases concerning technical investigation for major bridges and long tunnels will also be undertaken. A preliminary economic evaluation, an implementation plan and project publicity services are being provided, along with a comparison between Czech, German and European legal procedures. Visit www.szdc.cz, www.mottmac.com and www.sudop.cz. 17/15.