Public procurement notice: Prior Information Notice Without Call For Competition
Published: 2024-08-29
Buyer: Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII)
Country: IE
Region: IE061
Contract type: Works
CPV classification: 45210000: Building construction work | 45213000: Construction work for commercial buildings | 45213320 | 45213321 | 45220000

Technical requirements: The M400 Contracts will be awarded in accordance with the provisions of the European Union (Award of Contracts by Utility Undertakings) Regulations 2016 (S.I. 286/2016). 
This Periodic Indicative Notice is made in contemplation of the anticipated launch of a public procurement process for the appointment of three contractors pursuant to the M400 Contracts and in furtherance of the on-going market consultation in relation to the M400 Contracts.
MetroLink is a new/greenfield metro railway to be built and operated in an integrated manner to provide a high speed, high capacity, high frequency, modern and efficient public transport service for people travelling along the Swords/Airport to City Centre corridor in Dublin. More information on the MetroLink Project and scope of the M400 Contracts and M500 Contract is available at  www.metrolink.ie.
MetroLink will be procured by Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) through four major separate public contracts as well as a series of smaller advance and enabling works contract packages addressing preparatory issues such as utility diversions. These major contracts comprise:
a)	the three M400 Contracts for the design and construction of the tunnels, shafts and portals, shell and core station structures (underground, retained cut and at-grade), viaducts, and related MetroLink civil infrastructure. It is anticipated that these contracts will be delivered using the NEC4 Engineering and Construction Contract (ECC) Option C with amendments. These works are divided into three geographical sections being a southern section (M401), central section (M402) and northern section (M403).
b)	a design, build, finance, operate and maintain (DBFOM) contract (designated contract number M500 – the “M500 Contract”) to appoint a Service Delivery Partner (“Project Co”) who will provide certain works and the integrated operation and maintenance of the public passenger transport service. The integrated services will include the design, supply, operation, maintenance and financing of the metro rolling stock, signalling system (at Grade of Operation 4 – an automated railway), a railway depot and maintenance facility, metro control centre building(s) together with the installation of all line-wide trackwork, overhead contact system, power and communication systems, mechanical and electrical systems including tunnel and station ventilation, people movement systems and the fit out of finishes in sixteen stations.
TII is considering the award of an early development agreement to the selected preferred tenderer for the M500 Contract to facilitate it in the role of railway systems integrator with the civil infrastructure/M400 contracts.
A separate Periodic Indicative Notice has been published for the M500 Contract TED reference 2023/S 178-557522 on 12 September 2023 (the “M500 PIN”) in furtherance to ongoing market consultation on the DBFOM component of MetroLink as advertised in a Periodic Indicative Notice published in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) on 19th April 2022 (TED Reference: 2022/S 076-208843)
The M500 Contract will be awarded in accordance with the provisions of Regulation 1370/2007.
 

In addition to this PIN and the M500 PIN three other Periodic Indicative Notices have previously been published by TII in relation to market engagement and consultation on the Project. The first PIN was published in accordance with the requirements of the Utilities Regulations on 12th November 2019. This was issued for the purposes of market consultation on the preliminary approach to the procurement strategy for MetroLink. 
A second and third PIN were published by TII in the OJEU on 19th April 2022 (TED Reference: 2022/S 076-208843) and 6th October 2023 (eTender ID: 2493927 and TED Reference: TED 2023/S 193-602895) in respect of registration of interest in the ongoing market consultation, including with regard to the potential scope of a DBFOM contract package and the M400 Contracts.
This Periodic Indicative Notice relates to the M400 Contracts. During the period prior to the anticipated calls for competition, further market consultation/s is/are planned by TII. 
Any party who is interested in participating in the market consultation is invited to express their interest by registering under this PIN.  All parties who have previously expressed interest in MetroLink by registering under the previous PIN dated 19th April 2022 and/or 6th October 2023 are required to register their interest under this new PIN.  No party is restricted from registering their interest in both the M500 contract and the M400 contracts.
Issues to be raised by TII with registered participants are expected to focus on:
i)	the nature and terms of the proposed form of contract;
ii)	any interests or concerns raised by potential supply chain participants;
iii)	the nature and form of the expected Interface Agreement between the four major public contracts M500, M401, M402 and M403; 
iv)	arrangements for the tender procedure; 
v)	matters raised related to the performance of the M401, M402 and M403 contract packages that may affect the performance of the M500 Contract.
Information on the MetroLink Project, including market updates, is available at www.metrolink.ie/.
This Periodic Indicative Notice is issued for registration of interest in the M400 Contracts for the purpose of receiving future market updates and possible market consultation(s) within the meaning given in the Regulation 65 of the European Union (Award of Contracts by Utility Undertakings) Regulations 2016. 
The scope of each of the three M400 civil infrastructure contracts is expected to comprise:
Contract M401 - Southern section comprising 9.6km long, single 8.5m internal diameter (9.2m external diameter) bored and concrete-lined railway tunnel, tunnel portal, emergency access and ventilation shafts and ten underground metro stations excavated at a depth of up to [35m] together with required ancillary civil and accommodation works. 
Contract M402 - Central section comprising a 2.3km long, single 8.5m internal diameter (9.2m external diameter) bored and concrete-lined railway tunnel, single parallel 5.65m internal diameter bored emergency evacuation and ventilation tunnels (with cross over connections) under Dublin Airport, tunnel portals, two metro stations (one below-grade and one underground), a viaduct over the M50 motorway, earthworks and civil structures to provide a connecting rail roadway from the maintenance depot to the main metro line, together with required ancillary civil and accommodation works.
Contract M403 - Northern section comprising four metro stations in retained cutting, permanent way on surface and in retained cut, road over bridges and major viaduct crossing the Broadmeadow river, accommodation works for a temporary railhead at the terminus station at Estuary, local road diversions and upgrades, together with required ancillary civil and accommodation works.
The M400 contracts will interface with the M500 contract (which will be awarded in accordance with the provisions of Regulation 1370/2007). The M500 Contract is expected to comprise the delivery, through a DBFOM contract with a Service Delivery Partner, of an integrated public transport passenger service for MetroLink under an availability-based DBFOM arrangement. The scope of the M500 Contract will include the following interfaces with the scope of the three civil infrastructure contracts: the design and delivery of the station fit out works and of the mechanical and electrical plant equipment and associated services within sixteen stations within the shell and core structure that has been designed and built under the M400 contract; and the integrated operation and life-cycle maintenance of the metro system and all civil engineering structures (including as designed and constructed under the M400 Contracts) for an anticipated service period of at least 25 years (following completion of the MetroLink works).