[11/11/2004]
The Citytunnel Project signs its first deals with contractors
The Citytunnel Project’s first contracts were finalized today at a signing ceremony. The Malmö Citytunnel Group, a consortium made up of Bilfinger Berger AG, Per Aarsleff A/S and E Pihl & Søn A/S, has been awarded the task of drilling the tunnels and excavating the rock cavity that will make up the new Triangeln underground station.
NCC International AB will construct the underground station Malmö C Nedre, while NCC Construction Sverige AB will carry out groundwork and bridge building in the South.
"This is an historic day for the Swedish National Rail Administration and the Citytunnel Project", says the Director General of the Swedish National Rail Administration, Bo Bylund.
"The Citytunnel Project is vital for an efficient, well-functioning rail network in Sweden. After many years' preparation it is gratifying that the project can now take the final steps towards starting."
The formal signing ceremony took place in Börshuset, Malmö, a stone’s throw away from the site where the new Malmö C Nedre underground station will be built. The Citytunnel Project’s
Executive Project Director, Örjan Larsson, says the signing of the contracts is the beginning of a new phase of the Citytunnel Project.
"The chosen contractors delivered by far the best offers, meeting the high safety and environmental demands the Citytunnel Project has set. We look forward with excitement to start the constructional works", Larsson says.
The contract for the E201 Tunnels and Underground Cavity is worth SEK 2.3 billion. It comprises two parallel underground tunnels, about six kilometres long, between Malmö C and Holma, including 13 intersecting tunnels and two access shafts, as well as the rock cavity for the Triangeln underground station.
The Project Manager for the Tunnels subproject, Michael Myhré, says about 4.5 kilometres of the tunnels will be drilled with two separate tunnel boring machines.
"In the South, the bored tunnels will end with a concrete tunnel from which a ramp will lead up to the overground lines. The Triangeln underground station will be located about 25 meters underground, with two tracks and a 250-meter-long platform between them", Myhré says.
The E101 Malmö C Nedre tunnel and ramp contract comprises the underground stations Malmö Central and Malmö C Nedre. The contract is worth SEK 1.2 billion.
Project Manager for the Malmö C subproject Rolf Dahl says the underground station will be built with open shafts directly north of today’s station.
"A ramp carries the railroad tracks from the freight and stockyard area in the east to a roughly 320-meter-long station, and further on to an offshoot that connects to tunnels bored in the west."
The E302 Hyllie-Vintrie ground and constructional work contract is worth SEK 294 million and comprises the groundwork and bridges for the rail lines between Holma and the Öresund link. It also includes the Citytunnel Project’s construction from the southern tunnel entrance to the exit to the Öresund connection near Lernacken, as well as connecting tracks to Ystad and Trelleborg at Vintrie.
Patrik Magnusson, Project Manager of the Railways subproject, says the work involves terracing, moving roads, building bridges and supporting walls and environmental measures such as noise dampers, landscaping and a system for draining ground water.
"The construction of the Hyllie station is a separate contract and is not included in this one", Magnusson says.
The signing of the contracts is the culmination of a long and extensive procurement process. Economic factors played a large part in the evaluation of the tenders, as well as the bidders' ability to cooperate, their leadership and organization, their consideration of environmental and working environment conditions and their technical competence.
Because the tenders were nearing the end of their validity, the contracts were signed before the Environmental Court had issued permits. This way the contractors also have more time for preparations. One stipulation in all of the contracts is that work will not start before these and other necessary permits are in place.
The drawn-out environmental and permit process will delay the start of digging until the start of 2005, which means the Citytunnel will not be in use before 2011.
"According to the time plan, Citytunnel should be operational in 2010", Larsson says. "Based on the evaluations we have done and taking into consideration the six-year construction time, we can now see that 2011 is a more realistic goal."
Tenderers not chosen have ten days to appeal the Citytunnel Project's decision, in line with the Public Procurement Act governing public sector purchasing negotiations. Agreements will be reached with the remaining contractors from 2005 to 2008. The construction of Citytunnel requires, in total, more than 20 contractors of varying sizes and services.
The Citytunnel project, which is made up of 17 kilometres of railway, connecting Malmö Central Station and the Oresund Bridge, brings together the railway systems of Southern Sweden and increases the capacity for railway traffic in the future. The Citytunnel Project is made up of a six-kilometre-long tunnel under central Malmö and eleven kilometres of railway above ground. Malmö Central Station will be added with an underground section. New stations will be built at Triangeln and in Hyllie in south of Malmö.
When all permits are in order, the construction can start in 2005. The Citytunnel Project is planned to be finished in 2011. The budget of the project is SEK 8.8 billion, according to monetary value in 2001.