March 10 (SeeNews) - Bulgaria's National Railway Infrastructure Company (NRIC) said on Friday that it launched a 186.7 million levs ($100.75 million/95.46 million euro) tender to implement the European Railway Traffic Management System (ERTMS) Level 2 on a railway section between the northern cities of Ruse and Kaspichan.
The tender envisages the design, construction and commissioning of the European Train Control System (ETCS), an automatic train signalling and control system, the NRIC said in a notice published in the public procurement register. It also covers the installation of the GSM-R, or another newer generation digital radio system, for providing communication between the train and railway regulation control centres.
Potential bidders can submit their offers by April 28. The project is funded under Bulgaria's Recovery and Resilience Plan and is expected to take up to 1,210 days.
The European Railway Traffic Management System, consisting of the ETCS and GSM-R, aims to create a seamless European railway system by replacing national train control and command systems, according to the ERTMS website. The ERTMS Level 2 reduces maintenance costs by replacing lineside signals with the GSM-R and increases railway line capacity through higher speeds and reduced intervals between trains.
(1 euro = 1.95583 levs)