Already busy with underground work around Antwerp Central station for the Brussels-Amsterdam high-speed train route, NMBS (Belgian Railways) is preparing to commence work on a new tunnel forming part of a link east from Liege to Germany. The project is being managed and engineered by NMBS subsidiary TUC Rail.
Designed for goods traffic, the 6km-long Soumagne Tunnel will be a twin-track constructed by NATM in a comparatively small section of 80m³. Dr ir Philippe Van Bogaert of TUC Rail told T&TI that excavation is planned to commence from three ‘attack points’ simultaneously as the tunnel will pass under high ground east of the River Meuse. Tenders are under evaluation for both technical proposals and prices, with an award expected by March this year.
Currently Soumagne plans are running approximately three months ahead of schedule which allows TUC Rail to concentrate its resources on the Antwerp work.
Meanwhile, work in Antwerp continues with reconstruction of the southern approaches well in progress, as is examination of tenders for the northern bored approach tunnels. From the seven bidders who prequalified, six tendered. Sources among bidders have tipped the Bouygues-Antwerp Construction Combination as favourites to win to work.
TUC Rail says it has not made any major technical changes for this part of the Antwerp project. It still consists of two single-track bored tunnels of id 7.3m from an 8.0m-diameter excavation. Each will be 1.2km long. Construction work on this contract also includes a 350m long cut-and-cover twin-track tunnel, escape facilities with cross-passages at three stair accesses to surface level, and two additional cross-passages. M&E work will be covered by later contracts.
The projects are expected to increase the capacity of Central Station by up to 200%.
