Open invitation to tender, deadline 13th August, 2008 for construction of the high speed train tunnel between the stations of Atocha and Chamartin in Madrid. The section is 7.33 km long, whereof 6.85 km corresponding to a UIC gauge dual-track tunnel. Most of the tunnel will be driven using a TBM (6,041 m), except for a short initial stretch (22 m), which will be built using the German method, and the final part, which will be mined using the Madrid method (563 m) and cut-and-cover techniques (170 m). The new tunnel route starts in Mendez Alvaro Street, crosses Emperador Carlos V Roundabout to reach Alfonso XII Street and from there runs along Serrano Street. Then the line heads to Republica Argentina Square to eventually arrive at Chamartin. The new tunnel will have nine emergency exits (Espalter, Puerta de Alcala, Goya, Jose Ortega y Gasset, Maria de Molina, Republica Argentina, Concha Espina, Alberto Alcocer and La Hiedra), eight of which situated in the intermediate shafts and one at grade, three ventilation shafts (Puerta de Alcala, paseo de La Habana and Maria de Molina), one of them being situated in one of the emergency exit shafts, and four pumping shafts, three of which are located at the lower level of each of the three ventilation shafts. The estimated budget (including VAT) is EUR285.6 million and the time period for construction is 32 months. Visit http://ted.europa.eu/udl?request=Seek-Deliver&language=en&docid=177134-2008, OJ S 133, or contact ADIF, Madrid, fax +34 917005751. 29/08.ADIF, the railway infrastructure administration, received five bids for the construction of the high speed rail tunnel that will cross Madrid. It is budgeted at EUR246.2 million and will take a maximum time frame of 32 months to construct. The five bidders are a consortium formed by Ferrovial and Acciona; a second joint venture of ACS and FCC; a team of Ví­as y Construcciones, Isolux Corsí¡n and Comsa; a consortium between Sacyr Vallehermoso and Aldesa; and OHL allied with Sando and Azvi.The contract consists of the construction of the high speed connection between Madrid's main railway stations of Atocha and Chamartin, similar to the tunnel already under way in Barcelona between the stations of Sants and La Sagrera. The tunnel will articulate the railway connection of all the Spanish high speed lines. Currently, some lines already in service leave and arrive at Chamartin (the high speed line to Valladolid) while other lines have their departure/arrival in Atocha (the lines to Barcelona, Seville, Malaga and the Madrid-Toledo line). The connection will stretch for 7.3 kilometres, of which 6.9 km in tunnel. The project will be jointly financed by the EU Cohesion Fund through the regional development fund 2007-2013. The rate of co-financing is 80%. 38/08.The consortium formed by FCC, ACS, Copisa and Tecsa has been awarded a EUR206 million contract to build the high speed rail tunnel that will cross Madrid between the Atocha and Chamartin stations. The tunnel will be 7.3 km in length, 6.9 km of which will be underground. The route starts at Méndez ílvaro and then crosses Carlos V roundabout, reaching the Alfonso XII street. The contract also includes the modernisation of the railway yard south of Chamartin station to enable the arrival of high speed trains to the station through the tunnel. The project will be jointly financed by the European cohesion fund, to a rate of 80%, as part of the European regional development fund 2007-2013. Visit www.fcc.es, www.dragados.com, www.copisa.com and www.tecsa.es 40/08.