Construction tenders soon for Phase Two of UAE rail network
DUBAI, March 3, 2018
Etihad Rail, the developer and operator of the UAE's national rail network, is set to issue construction tenders for the second phase of the nation-wide railway network, which will run 628 km, connecting the country's sea ports and Phase One of the project, said a top official.
The second phase of the project will connect the railway to Mussafah, to Khalifa Port in Abu Dhabi and Jebel Ali Port in Dubai, and to the Saudi and Omani borders.
"Etihad Rail is looking to appoint project managers for this phase," revealed Abdullah bin Mohammed Belhaif Al Nuaimi, the UAE's Minister of Infrastructure Development and chairman of the Federal Transport Authority-Land and Maritime, at a press conference in Dubai.
In order to fast-track the project, the UAE cabinet has approved a new federal rail law, stated the minister.
The country's ambitious Etihad Rail project will form a vital part of the planned GCC Railway Network which will connect the region’s six GCC countries, linking the UAE to Saudi Arabia Ghweifat in the West and Oman through Al Ain in the East.
Dr Al Nuaimi said currently, Stage One of Etihad Rail, which started commercial operations in 2015, transports granulated sulphur from Shah and Habshan to port of Ruwais over a distance of 264 km.
Procurement had also begun for Stage Two, but in January 2016, the company announced that it had "suspended the tendering process for Stage 2 of the project, while it reviews the most appropriate options for the timing and delivery of this phase".
On completion, the 1,200-km UAE national railway is set to link all seven emirates and also the other five Gulf states.-TradeArabia News Service
