The Minister of Transport, Communications and Information Technologies Alexander Tsvetkov announced today that the National Railway Infrastructure Company opens tender for selection of a contractor for "Rehabilitation of railway infrastructure along sections of the railway line Plovdiv - Bourgas".

The tendering procedure is part of the project "Rehabilitation of railway infrastructure along the railway line Plovdiv - Bourgas" that is funded from the Operational Program Transport under priority axis "Development of railway infrastructure along the Trans-European and major national transport axes". The project has an indicative budget of 187.365 million euros, of which 55 percent grant aid from the Cohesion Fund of the European Union and 45% of the national budget.

The implementation of the project will improve the development of the main railway infrastructure and achieve integration of the national transport network in the European Union. The project will assist Bulgaria in meeting its commitments for the development of railway infrastructure in accordance with European Union standards.

The implementation activities of the contract are divided into separate lots and the participants can apply for all lots or for each one of them, but only within their full range.

Lot 1 - Rehabilitation of the railway section Mihailov - Kaloyanovets, including the main tracks in stations Mikhailova and Kaloyanovets, built with an approximate length of track 21 kilometers.;

Lot 2 - rehabilitation of railway sections Stara Zagora - Yambol and Turning - Zimnitza, including the main tracks in Stara Zagora stations and turns and all stations and stops between them built with an approximate length of track 120 km.;

Lot 3 - Rehabilitation of the railway section Tserkovski - Karnobat, including the main tracks in the station Tserkovski with an approximate length of the unfolded track and 28 kilometers of track renewal in the line Karnobat - Burgas, including the main tracks in stations Karnobat and Bourgas and all stations and stops between them, with an approximate length of the unfolded track 122 kilometers.

The contract covers the design of the works and their implementation for each lot, which includes preparation of detailed design, with a range of activities all renewal / rehabilitation of railway infrastructure and construction - assembly works on the track.

The period of execution is:

• For Lot 1 - 19 months;
• For Lot 2 - 43 months;
• For Lot 3 - 38 months.

Documentation of the tender can be obtained from the National Railway Infrastructure Company ", at the address, Maria Louisa Blvd № 110, floor 3, room 318, every working day from 08.00 hours to 12.00 pm and 12.45 pm to 16.45 pm (10 days before the deadline for receipt of tenders).

The deadline for submission of documents for tender is January 11, 2010.

Bids will be opened on next working day, January 12, 2010 at 10.00 am in the building of the National Railway Infrastructure Company.