Design study under way by National Authority for Tunnels for new metro to cross city east-west from Salah Salem to Embaba. June 1998.   Will include crossings of the Nile on either side of Zamalek Island and will interchange with Line 1 at Attaba and Line 2 at Nasser.   Invitation to prequalify, deadline 1st October, 2002 for phase 1 Attaba-Abbasia, 4.5 km in length. Group 1 is for signalling and driving modes, centralized control systems, and telecommunication systems. Group 2: heavy civil works and engineering including bored tunnelling, construction of five underground stations with the relevant arrangement works, and annexed structures. Group 3: power supply including the construction of a high voltage station, electro-mechanical equipment, toll equipment, and a light repair workshop at Abbasia. Group 4: track works including both unballasted and ballasted tracks with power third rail as well as the track connection with the railway network. Group 5: rolling stock. The 33 km Line 3, 26 km of which underground, will be built in four stages at a cost of €4.5 billion. Studies have been undertaken by Systra. Visit http://ted.eur-op.eu.int/udl?request=Seek-Deliver&language=en&docid=104683-2002, OJ S 135, or contact National Authority for Tunnels, Cairo, tel. +20 202 5742968 or fax +20 202 5742950. 30/02.  Prequalification notice for consultancy services for construction supervision for the 4.3 km first phase of Line 3 between Attaba Square and Abbasia. Visit http://ted.eur-op.eu.int/udl?request=Seek-Deliver&language=en&docid=150995-2002, OJ S 192, or contact National Authority for Tunnels, fax +202 5742950. 41/02.Systra is currently analysing the bids received for the first phase of Line 3, a 4.5 km section from Attaba to Abbasia. The three bidders for contract 1 (signalling and telecommunication) are Alcatel / Alstom, Siemens and Citic (China). The two bidders for contract 2 (civil engineering) are Bouygues / Spie / Vinci / Arab Contractors / Orascom (France / Egypt) and OHL / ECTTP (Spain / Egypt). The five bidders for contract 3 (E&M equipment) are Alstom / Spie / Thales / Arab Contractors (France / Egypt), Siemens, Citic, FCC Construccion / ECTTP (Spain / Egypt), and Mitsubishi. The two bidders for contract 4 (track equipment) are Cogifer / Orascom (France / Egypt) and TSO (France). The contracts will be awarded next month. 24/06.The competition for building the first phase of Cairo's metro Line 3 project reached a crucial point with the opening of the financial offers for civil engineering (contract 2) on 12th September, 2006. The group led by Vinci Construction and Bouygues, made a cheaper offer (EUR125.5 million) compared to its main competitor Spanish construction group OHL allied with Egypt's ECTTP. The official outcome for the contract and three others (signalling and telecommunication, E&M equipment and track equipment) will be announced on 5th October. Click eg/12.According to the valuation, the two competitors have been prequalified for the civil works project as well as for the combined project including power supply, electromechanical work, toll equipment, rolling stock maintenance facilities and maintenance management system. However, for the joint work project, the French companies and their partners (namely Arab Contractors and Orascom) are the only ones which have submitted an offer. The ambitious project, promoted by the National Authority for Tunnels (NAT), aims to connect important urban centres, extending from the northwest of greater Cairo at Imbaba, to the north east at Heliopolis, also serving the Cairo International Airport. The entire line will cross under the two branches of the Nile River, with a total length of approximately 33 km, most of which runs though an underground tunnel. Slurry TBM technology will be used. 27 of the 29 stations will be constructed by the cut-and-cover method. 38/06.A group of companies led by Vinci Construction Grands Projets (28.5%), with partners Arab Contractors (27.5%), Bouygues (26%), and Orascom (18%) has just been awarded the civil engineering contract 2 for phase 1 of Line 3 of the Cairo metro. This EUR248.1 million deal is for the construction of 4.3 kilometres of tunnel and five underground stations. Line 3 of the Cairo metro will stretches 33 kilometres to serve 29 stations and will cross the Egyptian capital from east to west, linking the airport, situated 22 km to the northeast of the city centre, to the Mohandessin neighbourhood in Giza. The second phase, 6.2 km long, will be awarded to the same companies, without new invitation to tender. Visit www.nat.org.eg, www.vinci.com, www.arabcont.com and www.bouygues-construction.com 03/07.Contract 1 for signalling and driving modes, centralized control systems, and telecommunication systems has been awarded to Alstom, Alcatel, and Orascom for EUR29.2 million. Visit www.alstom.com, www.alcatel-lucent.com and www.orascom.com 03/07.Contract 3 for power supply including the construction of a high voltage station, electro and mechanical equipment, toll equipment, and a light repair workshop has been awarded to Spie Rail, Alstom and Thales, in partnership with Orascom and Arab Contractors, for EUR121 million. Visit www.spie.com and www.thalesgroup.com 03/07.Vossloh and Cogifer bagged contract 4, worth EUR14.9 million, to lay tracks including both unballasted and ballasted tracks with power third rail as well as the track connection with the railway network. Visit www.vossloh.de and www.cogifer.com 03/07.Contract 5 for rolling stock is not awarded yet. The competitors are Alstom, Mitsubishi, Citic and CAF. Site supervision has been awarded to Systra for EUR5 million. Visit www.systra.com 03/07.