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Title attributed to the contract by the contracting entity: Metro North (Dublin) - Infrastructure Contract. RPA seeks expressions of interest for the provision of a new metro line serving the Greater Dublin area between Lissenhall and St Stephen's Green ('Metro North'). RPA intends to award separate contracts for: (i) an infrastructure contractor and rolling stock supplier (the 'infrastructure contract'); and (ii) an operator (the 'operating contract') (together the 'Metro North Contracts'). Interested infrastructure contractors are invited to respond to this notice. Interested operators are invited to respond to a separate notice establishing a qualification system for operators. Interested rolling stock suppliers wishing to work with interested infrastructure contractors are invited to respond to a separate notice establishing a qualification system for rolling stock suppliers. Further detail regarding the Metro North procurement process and envisaged contract structure is set out below. The scope of the infrastructure contract may include the following and related elements: civil engineering and associated design and construction services, including: tunnelling; construction of embankments, elevated sections, track-bed and track laying; signalling, control and communications systems and other mechanical and electrical works; construction of underground and over-ground stations and associated structures; construction of related service facilities, including depots, maintenance facilities and control rooms; and construction of car-parks; procuring the design, manufacture and supply of rolling stock for Metro North through a qualified list of rolling stock suppliers established by RPA (see below for further details); commissioning and testing of Metro North and its parts and ensuring that Metro North is brought into passenger service by the infrastructure contractor by means of appointment of an operator through a qualified list of operators established by RPA (see below for further details). It is envisaged that the successful infrastructure contractor shall be responsible for obtaining the relevant consents under the Railway Safety Act 2005, including obtaining acceptance of its safety case for operating railway infrastructure and ensuring that the operator obtains acceptance of the operator's safety case for operating railway services; maintenance and renewal of infrastructure and rolling stock; procuring project finance in relation to all of the above. Further works, services and supplies of a similar nature to those described in respect of the infrastructure contract (i.e. infrastructure and rolling stock) may also be required in relation to future lines of, and extensions to, the Dublin metro and light railway system. It is currently anticipated that the infrastructure contractor will not be responsible for patronage risk. Maintenance of the rolling stock (other than light maintenance required by the operating contract) will be the responsibility of the infrastructure contractor. The infrastructure contractor may sub-contract this responsibility, fully or in part, to either the rolling stock supplier or the operator or both. It is anticipated that the infrastructure contract will be for 30 - 40 years. The operating contract concerns the operation of Metro North once it has been brought into passenger service. It is anticipated that the duration of the operating contract will be the construction period plus a 5 - 7 year operational phase, with the option for RPA to extend for up to a further 5 years. It is anticipated that the rolling stock supplier will enter into contractual arrangements with the infrastructure contractor. The procurement process leading to the award of the Metro North Contracts is fully described in a separate information memorandum and pre-qualification questionnaire which can be requested from the contact in I.1 (under 'Specifications and additional documents can be obtained at'). Briefly, the procurement process will be as follows: RPA requires interested parties to qualify under one of the three separate qualification processes, i.e. one for infrastructure contractors (the subject of this notice), one for rolling stock suppliers and one for operators; Each qualification process will establish 3 lists of ยqualified candidates': of qualified infrastructure candidates, of qualified rolling stock candidates and of qualified operator candidates; Qualified candidates will be invited to form bidding groups made up of one qualified candidate of their choice from each list, i.e. each ยqualified bidding group to be made up of one qualified infrastructure contractor, one qualified rolling stock supplier and one qualified operator. Qualified candidates may only belong to one qualified bidding group. However, RPA reserves the right, at its discretion, to allow non-exclusive bidding in certain circumstances, for example, if insufficient numbers qualify to allow qualified bidding groups to form on an exclusive basis; Qualified bidding groups will be invited to participate in the negotiations leading to the award of the Metro North contracts. It is anticipated that the procurement process will lead to two separate contracts: the infrastructure contract and the operating contract. Candidates should be aware that this contractual structure may change and will only be finalised in later tender documentation. In addition, it is currently envisaged that the successful bidding group will implement contractual arrangements between the infrastructure contractor (including the rolling stock supplier) and the operator to govern their relationship pre-commissioning and that a co-operation agreement will be entered into between the infrastructure contractor, the operator and RPA to cover predominantly the post-commissioning period. RPA is considering whether an element of the above works will be procured as an advanced works package and reserves the right, at its discretion, to include/exclude such works in/from the infrastructure contract at the later invitation to negotiate stage.