OHL awarded the railway connection between Europe and Asia under the Bosphorus Strait

The movement of trains between the two continents will be a milestone celebrating the ninetieth anniversary of the Republic of Turkey on October 29, 2013

The OHL Group has been awarded the Marmaray project in Turkey, consisting of the developing connection of the the rail lines between the European and the Asian side in Istanbul through an underwater tunnel in the Bosphorus Strait. This tunnel will allow the transit of high-speed, commuter and freight trains between the two continents.

The contract budget amounts to €932.8 million (without VAT), making it one of the largest contracts signed by OHL in all time.

The contracting agency is the Directorate General of Construction Railways, Ports and Airports (DLH) of the Ministry of Transport of Turkey. The project benefits from the financing of the CEB (Council of Europe Development Bank) and the EIB (European Investment Bank).

OHL is leader, with a 70% interest, of the joint venture formed for this purpose with the Spanish railway signaling company, Dimetronic. The bid, presented on February 28, 2011, was the most competitive among the five international consortia that submitted bids for the project.

The works contracted includes the full design, complete removal of two existing tracks and their replacement with three new tracks over 63 km of the 77 km of the project, the renovation and construction of 36 stations, the construction of 130 structures, two operation and control centers, garages and workshops, renovation of all electromechanical systems (power supply, catenary, signaling, telecommunication and ticketing systems) along the 77 km of the project, the commissioning of the project and maintenance for two years.

The first milestone of this project is to celebrate the ninetieth anniversary of the establishment of the modern Republic of Turkey on October 29, 2013, with the movement of trains between the two shores of the Bosphorus.

In Turkey, OHL implemented the first leg of the high-speed rail line from Ankara to Istanbul, which was complted in 2009 and is operating with great success. This section, Hasanbey-Esenkent measuring 206 km in length, has so far been the largest railway project developed by a Spanish company abroad. The Group also executed the wastewater treatment plant in Konya, which has been in service since 2009.

This contract joins other major international projects awarded to the OHL Group during the first half of 2011. These includes the award of the University Hospital Centre in Montreal. The budget for the construction of this hospital is about €1.428 billion and OHL leads the 50% joint venture with Britain’s Laing O’Rourke.

In Kuwait, OHL participates in a joint venture of four companies with 48% forthe construction of an urban viaduct on Jamal Abdul Nasser Avenue, for a total budget of €645.5 million, excluding VAT.

Also, in Toronto and New York, the OHL Goup is executing subway extension works in both cities. In Toronto, the project is through a 50% joint venture with FCC and has a budget of €304 million (excluding VAT), and in New York, through the subsidiary Judlau, OHL will expand a subway station by 100% for €135.7 million, excluding VAT.