Four pre-qualify for Dublin's DART PPP
Aug 2010
Dublin DART News Release
- Four international consortia have entered the pre-qualification phase for PPP (public private partnership) procurement of Dublin’s DART Underground project. They are:
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Fig 1. Route of the DART underground link
- • BBI Consortium (Balfour Beatty Capital Ltd, BAM PPP Investments Ireland bv, Iridium Concesiones de Infraestructuras, S.A.)
• City Connect Consortium (Macquarie Capital Group Ltd, Cintra Infraestructuras, S.A., Global Via Infraestructuras, S.A.)
• NascRail Consortium (OHL Concesiones S.L., Soares da Costa Concessoes SGPS, SA, Allied Irish Banks, p.l.c., Bombardier Transportation (Holdings) UK Ltd, Pierse Contracting)
• Toto Consortium (Toto Costruzioni Generali S.p.A., Societa Italiana per Condotte d'Acqua S.p.A, Ansaldo STS S.p.A., Condotte Immobiliare S.p.A., Torrena Scavi S.p.A., Rocksoil S.p.A.) - The consortia will work toward presenting proposals to build 7.4km of twin-tube tunnel bored by two TBMs, 25m deep under Dublin city centre. Iarnród Éireann (Irish Railways) will now complete the assessment process over the coming months. The project intends to have the PPP contract awarded by mid-2012 and construction completed and passenger services operating by end of 2018. The project submitted a Railway Order application for on 30th June.
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Fig 2. DART is the missing link that will integrate Dublin’s existing public rail services
- DART Underground will provide the central missing link of a fully integrated rail network for the Greater Dublin Area. For the first time all of the city's rail systems - DART, Commuter, Intercity, Luas and Metro services - together into an integrated and cohesive network (Fig 2).
- The 7.6km underground section of the full 8.6km of new rail as an underpass of the River Liffey and runs underground through the heart of Dublin City Centre to connect the Northern and Kildare rail lines, and a set of underground stations at Spencer Dock, Pearse, St. Stephen's Green, Christchurch and Heuston and a new surface station at Inchicore.
- The underground stations will be constructed using techniques that will minimize the effect for the local residents, communities and environment. There is potential for more than 75% of the to be removed by rail. This in turn has the potential to reduce the traffic impacts during the construction phase.
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Heuston Station's underground platform level
- With average tunnelling depths of 24 metres the project is not expected to significantly impact on the vast majority of properties along the route. However, to allay concerns residents and property owners may have, a Property Protection Scheme has been put in place so that they have a record of the condition of their property prior to the commencement of the construction works. This will be a benchmark against which any deterioration of the property can be measured.
- Under the PPP contract the successful private partner will be responsible for the design, construction, financing, commissioning and maintenance of the tunnel, stations and associated facilities over the period of the PPP contract.
- At this stage, the contract is envisaged to last for between 25 and 35 years, including the design and construction stages. In return the private partner will receive an annual availability and performance based payment.
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DART entrance at the interchange Pearse Station
- Iarnród Éireann will at all times retain responsibility for the operation of DART services through the tunnel, which will be handed back to Iarnród Éireann at the end of the concession period.
- The project, reportedly estimated at about €2-2.5 billion (about US$3-3.2 billion) is funded by the Irish Government under the Transport 21 investment programme, and is also being part-funded by the Ten-T Executive Agency of the European Commission.
- As well as improving public transport services for commuters, the project will provide an important stimulus for the economy, creating up to 7,000 jobs during each year of construction and thousands more indirectly as a result of improved access to retail, commercial, leisure and tourist destinations in Dublin. Iarnród Éireann said that the strong interest in the PPP process represents a vote of confidence in the project from the international market.
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