Etihad Rail awards contract for Package D linking project

Copyright: Etihad Rail

Etihad Rail‘s AED 4.6 billion tender for the civil works and construction of Package D of Stage Two of the United Arab Emirate’s (UAE) national railway has been approved by the company’s Chairman. The contract has been awarded to the China Railway Construction Corporation (CRCC) and National Projects and Construction (NPC). 

Package D will link the ports of Fujairah and Khorfakkan to the national rail network at the Dubai border with Sharjah, stretching over a distance of 145km. Etihad Rail’s project will contribute to the improvement of the transport and infrastructure industries in the region due to connecting key ports to manufacturing, production and population centres.

Chairman of Etihad Rail, His Highness Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, said: “The awarding of this contract is a highly significant achievement as Etihad Rail follows its path to progressing one of the most important and economically strategic projects in the UAE. While expanding a vital sector that constitutes the lifeline of our national economy, we continue to provide a safe, modern, and sustainable national railway network that meets the aspirations and expectations of our nation and its leaders, supporting the UAE’s position as a major link in the regional and global supply chain, and as a key player in the logistics system.”

Features of Package D include the construction of 15 tunnels through the Hajar Mountains, totalling 16km, 35 bridges and 32 underpasses. Linking the ports of Fujairah and Khorfakkan to the national railway network will allow for the annual transportation of up to two million 20ft-equivalent container units (TEU) and, as a result, promote international trading. 

Additionally, Etihad Rail is expected to carry up to 30 million tonnes of construction material annually to distribution centres in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. This will reduce the overall cost of transport and the number of freight truck journeys by over 2,000 trips per day.

The United Arab Emirates’ freight and transport sectors are expecting to see significant improvement as a result of the project by enabling faster and more efficient distribution of goods. The advancement of economic and social development will also be facilitated, as will achieving a quantitative boost to the freight traffic and logistics sector.