Belgium's CFE wins contract for Dutch rail tunnel

BRUSSELS, July 18 (Reuters) - Belgian building conpany CFE (CFEB.BR) said on Friday that it and partners had won a contract for the first phase of a project to build a rail tunnel in the Dutch city of Delft.

It said it and Dura Vermeer and Haverkort Voormolen TBI Infra had been selected by Prorail for the project, valued at 354 million euros ($561 million). CFE has a one-third stake in the joint venture.

The project consists of a 2,300 metre long tunnel, including a new railway station, a public transport junction and an underground car park.

The joint venture would start preparatory work in August in order to begin construction in the second half of 2009. The station and the first two tracks should be operational by 2013.

CFE, 47 percent owned by France's Vinci (SGEF.PA), is a group of construction companies and also holds 50 percent of dredger DEME. (Reporting by Philip Blenkinsop; Editing by Dale Hudson)