There was one major change order, which was anticipated at financial close. The value of the change was estimated at € 2 million. Because of the expansion of the light rail network of Antwerp, some technical changes to the existing network had to be accommodated, to allow for interfaces with the newly constructed parts of the network. As a result of this change, the use of the rail infrastructure built within the scope of this project has also increased.
The costs associated with the change were borne by the Procuring Authorities and consisted of a fixed investment part to cover the capital cost of the change, whereas the increased maintenance costs are paid through higher availability payments. The amount of this payment was subject to commercial negotiations.
The key issue was based on higher usage than anticipated, which would lead to more wear and tear and increased maintenance costs. This change, however, was anticipated in the contract drafting but at financial close it was not possible to devise a formula which would estimate the impact on the asset condition and forecast the costs needed to provide additional maintenance.
This issue was therefore managed by increased (independent) monitoring to assess the asset deterioration due to the increased frequency of use. The higher than anticipated usage will then be quantified, which may result in agreement between the parties on the value of the availability payment.