The consortium Spie Sud Est/Yvroud Europeenne des Fluides, Feyzin secured the EUR7.6 million contract for equipment maintenance in the Grand Lyon tunnels, the most important of which are Fourviere (1,850 m), Croix-Rousse (1,750 m), Brotteaux-Servient and Vivier-Merle (336 m). For more, contact Communaute Urbaine de Lyon, fax +33 478 957097, or visit http://marches.grandlyon.com. Visit http://ted.europa.eu/udl?request=Seek-Deliver&language=en&docid=058386-2010. 11/10...

Gähler und Partner AG of Ennetbaden have secured the EUR2.28 million contract for PM designer for safety refurbishment in 1.14 km-long Mosi tunnel on A4, near Brunnen. Contact OFROU, Zofingen, tel +41 6274575-11, fax -90, e-mail beschaffung.zofingen@astra.admin.ch. Visit http://ted.europa.eu/udl?request=Seek-Deliver&language=en&docid=062920-2010. 11/10...

IG BP2, c/o Bänziger Partner AG of Zurich, secured the EUR2.63 million contract from BAMO for 5.7 km-long N3 Kerenzer tunnel. Contact OFROU, Winterthour, tel +41 522344-711, fax -790, e-mail winterthur@astra.admin.ch. Visit http://ted.europa.eu/udl?request=Seek-Deliver&language=en&docid=062921-2010. 11/10..

Construction contract for Kuechelberg tunnel awarded to PAC SpA consortium, value EUR34,695,272 excluding VAT. More from PAC in Capo di Ponte, tel +39 0364331037, fax +39 036442303, e-mail info@pacspa.it and client APB in Bozen, tel +39 04714125-14, fax –39, e-mail gare-11.5@provincia.bz.it Visit http://ted.europa.eu/udl?request=Seek-Deliver&language=en&docid=071475-2010. 11/10...

Rete Ferroviaria Italiana SpA is inviting companies to prequalify for civil engineering work on railway tunnels in Italy. Further information and documents from Iacomino Raffaele at Gruppo Ferrovie dello Stato in Milan, tel +39 02637 148-19, fax –20, e-mail dns-qs@rfi.it to whom requests to participate should be sent. Visit

Pre-feasibility study being undertaken by ILF Consulting Engineers for construction of single track railway line along the Karakorum highway between the end of the existing railway network in the south at Havelian and the border between Pakistan and China near the famous Khunjrab Pass in the north.

Prequalification underway by MTR for tender reference no 703 for West Island Line SHW to SYP tunnels value EUR30 million with a view to selective invitations to tender being issued in 4Q/2008 for contract award in 3Q/2009. Expressions of interest to Malcolm O’Neill, tel 3921 3383, e-mail moneill@mtr.com.hk Visit www.mtr.com.hk/eng/tenders/new_projects.html 45/08.

Keymile's multi-service access node UMUX 1500, guarantees reliable  transmission of signals in the tunnel and to the operation centres in  the new Gotthard base tunnel, a Swiss railway tunnel currently under construction. After completion in 2017, the 2 x 57 km Gotthard base tunnel will be the longest in the world. UMUX is used here in the safety-critical "axle connection and evaluation" application. Visit www.alptransit.ch

Thales will fit around 200 axle counting points throughout the tunnel. The points transfer the current counter reading for axle counter evaluation to the technical centre, which in turn tells the signal box whether a train is in that section or not. The rail contacts (Sk30) are connected with electronic equipment (E-Es30H) that is then connected via ISDN interface to the UMUX 1500 access node. UMUX 1500 combines these ISDN interfaces and transmits the data via fibre optic cable, using SDH technology (in this case with STM-1, 155 mbps), to the places where axle counter evaluation is carried out.

Thanks to the double ring routing and the fact that the redundant path is taken via an alternative route, availabilities of more than 99.9999% are achieved. As a result, any hardware malfunctions that might occur in a unit can be intercepted and railway traffic is not brought to a halt. Permanent monitoring ensures that all components work properly. At the access network level, Keymile is a major partner of Alcatel-Lucent and Thales (both are shareholders in the Transtec Gotthard working group) and the company makes an important contribution to safety in the Gotthard base tunnel. Click ch/17. Visit www.transtec-gotthard.ch

Data communications in railway technology often go by the term "safety and automation". Understandably the demands placed are very high, because malfunctions could risk lives and cause enormous damage. Consequently, these systems are checked and approved by the national departments for transport concerned (which in Switzerland is the BAV).

Keymile is a leading manufacturer and provider of next-generation access systems with integrated central network management. Keymile's products range from IP-DSLAMs to multi-service access platforms and SHDSL-transmission solutions, to specific transmission systems for industrial ethernet applications. Visit www.keymile.com/en 28/08.