As previously announced in a Periodic Indicative Notice (2013/S 124-213638 with corrections in 2013/S 129-222982), Banedanmark is commencing an expansion of the catenary system for electrical trains on the basis of a series of political agreements. The works are planned for tendering commencing with a contract notice to be released mid December 2013. As a part of the preparation of the tender, Banedanmark held an information meeting and discussions (technical dialogue, cf. preamble 15 to the utilities directive) during the fall of 2013.
The presentation, brief/generic minutes, and the list of themes from these meetings and discussions are available at http://uk.bane.dk/visBanearbejde_eng.asp?artikelID=18950
In continuation of the conclusions from the discussions contained in these documents, Banedanmark wishes to inform the market about the decisions made with regard to the tender process ahead.
Banedanmark has decided that the coming tender will be a negotiated procedure for an all-inclusive Design and Build contract on the basis of functional requirements. As part of the tender phase, the participants will be required to develop a basic system design for the system.
In this context "all-inclusive" means (A) that the contract will include four sections of railway (Copenhagen - Ringsted, Ringsted - Holeby, Lunderskov – Esbjerg and Køge Nord – Næstved) that are planned to be part of the main scope of the contract. Banedanmark plans to include an additional five sections as options in the contract (Roskilde – Holbæk – Kalundborg, Fredericia – Aarhus, Aarhus – Aalborg (Lindholm), Aalborg (Lindholm) – Frederikshavn and Vejle - Struer). However, pending a political decision regarding the latter five sections, these sections could be included as a part of the main scope of the contract already before the contract is concluded. The nine sections of railway total approximately 1 330 kilometres of railway (where one kilometre of single track railway counts as one kilometre and double track railway as two kilometres). The sections are located across Denmark, and when the construction is finished, if all nine sections are included (Banedanmark intends to include an option to terminate for convenience), the Electrification Programme will almost have doubled the amount of kilometres of railway with a catenary system in Denmark.
'All-inclusive' also means (B) that the contract will include:
1) Installation of a traction catenary system (including but not limited to masts, other supporting constructions and foundations) on the nine sections above (including main-tracks, siding-tracks and depot),
2) installation of the electrical distribution infrastructure to secure the power supply from the power grid (e.g. sub stations, interfaces, protection and control), and
3) modification to the existing infrastructure, where necessary, to allow installation of the electric traction fixed system including works to ensure that electrical clearances and/or screening are provided. Also works to provide equipotential earthing and bonding of the whole railway infrastructure.
In addition, Banedanmark expects that the future maintenance (or a part thereof) of the system and infrastructure mentioned in nos. 1 and 2 above as well as an extension of the scope of the contract to cover electrification of further existing or new railway sections in addition to the nine railway sections mentioned above, will be included in the contract as separate options for Banedanmark to exercise at its discretion.
The size of the planned works is large, and this Periodic Indicative Notice serves to inform the interested contractors of the scope and content of the coming tender. With this Periodic Indicative Notice interested contractors are expected to have the necessary information to further prepare for the coming tender with regard to whether or not to apply for participation on their own, as a consortium or as a sub-contractor of another contractor. In addition to providing this information prior to the release of the contract notice, Banedanmark intends to include guidelines in the contract notice relating to consortia and sub-contractors for the purpose of ensuring a procedure that is both transparent and flexible (for example, a possible regulation of how and when a contractor can participate in the tender both as a part of a consortium and as a sub-contractor of another contractor).
Banedanmark is still working on the contract notice, and as such the purpose of this Periodic Indicative Notice is solely to provide information to interested contractors. The notice is not a call for prequalification applications. As mentioned above, the contract notice - which will include the call for prequalification applications - is expected to be released mid December 2013.