A joint venture of Dutch contractors BAM Civiel and Van Oord Nederland signed a design and construct contract for a new railway on 4 July 2006. The client is Prorail. The contract is for a part of the Hanzelijn, a new railroad between the Dutch cities of Lelystad and Zwolle. The execution of the project starts in July 2007. The Hanzelijn is scheduled for completion in 2012/2013.
The contract involves the construction of the earth tracks between Lelystad and the tunnel underneath lake Drontermeer. The track is some 25 km long and will include twenty major construction works. The crossing with the A6 motorway will be an eye-catching feature. The basic construction for the future Dronten station will be built. The project is scheduled for completion in December 2009.