UK contractors with private finance initiative experience are in with a good chance of winning work on The Netherlands' first major privately financed project.
Dutch prime minister Wim Kok last week announced his decision to opt for a private-public partnership deal to provide part of a £3.5bn high-speed rail link between Amsterdam and the Belgian border.
In what is seen as a revolutionary approach, the rail, power and signalling systems will be let in the form of a £500m design, build, finance and maintenance contract.
HSL-Zuid, the government-owned project manager, wants to hear from UK contractors and banks that have worked on large scale PPP or PFI projects in the past.
"UK firms have the necessary experience which we just don't have to the same extent over here," an HSL-Zuid spokeswoman said.
