BergerWorld: 3rd Quarter 2008

In 1846, Hungary implemented its first rail line, signaling the birth of Hungarian railways. Today, the country's network includes more than 7,000 kilometers of rail. However, many of these lines are in poor condition. In an effort to rehabilitate the network, Magyar Államvasutak (MAV), the country's largest rail operator, is undertaking a number of improvements throughout the country.

Louis Berger SAS, as part of a consulting consortium, was commissioned by MAV to rehabilitate the 25-kilometer Szajol-Mezotur section of the Vecses-Szolnok Railway, located in an area in the Carpathian Basin noted for its peaks and valleys. The proposed rehabilitation includes the reconstruction of the Szajol and Tiszatenyo stations; the introduction of new signaling systems; and the reconstruction of tracks between Tiszatenyo and Mezotur, located in the Northern Great Plain region of central Hungary. Berger's duties included preparing the contractual sections of the tender documents, while the consortium's overall duties included preparing the detailed designs in compliance with Hungarian standards; assisting in the launch of the international tenders for the projects; and managing the implementation of the work.