Istanbul municipality has invited prequalification applications by 25 September for the second stage of the Istanbul metro project (see Tenders). The second stage civil works are estimated to cost about $300 million-400 million.

The second stage will run for a distance of about 5.5 kilometres between the central Taksim square, and the Unkapani district across the Golden Horn inlet in the old city. It will have four stations, and will be constructed partly below and partly above ground level, municipality officials say.

The municipality has also awarded a contract valued at about $43.8 million to the Anglo French GEC Alsthom for the supply of railway cars for the first stage of the metro running between Taksim and 4-Levent (MEED 25:7:97).

The tender specifications call for the delivery of 34 railway cars within 18 months, and the assembly with local participation of the remaining 62 cars. The tender process follows a $180 million contract from Ulasim to France's Cegelec with the local Albayrak and Cengiz for electromechanical works on the first stage (MEED 21:3:97). Completion of the first stage is scheduled by the end of 1998.