Etihad Rail has awarded the $408 million Package A of Stage Two of the UAE National Rail Network to a JV comprising China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC) and SK Engineering and Construction.
According to a statement from Etihad Rail, Package A of Stage Two connects UAEs Ruwais with Ghuweifat on the Saudi border. The scope of work includes all design and build, civil and track works of the 139km long rail network line, said a statement from Etihad Rail. When complete, Stage Two will run for 605km from Ghuweifat to the Port of Fujairah.
The deal was signed by Etihad Rail CEO Shadi Malak along with China State Construction Engineering Corporation Middle East president and CEO Yu Tao and SK E&C VP Hyuntae Nam. The contract was awarded at an Etihad Rail board meeting, which was held in the presence of Chairman Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who is also a member of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council.
With the commencement of this first phase of Stage Two, we are reaching a major turning point in the transportation sector in the UAE and GCC. Pioneering and innovative, this initial link is just the beginning, as Etihad Rail expands its network to improve all aspects of freight transport across our border and around the region, placing the UAE at the center of regional goods movement as a global logistics hub, said Sheikh Theyab.
Package A will focus on the design and construction of rail infrastructure, including earth-works, bridges, tunnels, animal crossing, track-laying, and linking with Stage One of the network. The route will feature standard-gauge double track, which will be built using 1.3m tonne of ballast, over 400,000 concrete sleepers and 33,000 tons of iron rail.
Sheikh Theyab also said that Etihad Rail is working diligently and efficiently towards awarding contracts for the rest of Stage Two over the coming months.
When complete, the 1,200km Etihad Rail project will link the UAEs centres of industry, manufacturing, production, population, and import/export points and will become a key part of the GCC-wide railway network.
