Package D, civil and construction works contract for stage 2 of the United Arab Emirates’ national railway project has gone to a joint venture of China Railway Construction Corporation (CRCC) and local firm National Projects & Construction (NPC) for US$1.25 billion (AED4.6bn)
Package D will link the ports of Fujairah and Khorfakkan to the network at the Dubai border with Sharjah, and will stretch over a distance of 145km. The construction work includes 15 tunnels through the Hajar Mountains with a total length of 16km, as well as 35 bridges and 32 underpasses.
With the awarding of Package D to the joint venture headed by CRCC, Etihad Rail has given all four packages to ventures headed by Chinese firms. The other three packages were awarded between March and June of this year.
Etihad Rail awarded the first civil works Package A worth $410 million (AED1.5bn) in March to a team comprising China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC) and South Korea’s SK Engineering. The contract was for the construction of a 139km rail line in the Al-Dhafra region between Ghuweifat and Ruwais.
In June, the contracts for packages B and C were awarded to a joint venture of CRCC and local contracting firm Ghantoot Transport & General Contracting for a total of $1.2 billion (AED4.4bn).
Package B runs for 216km, while package C runs for 94km. The packages are part of the 605km line from Ghuweifat to the Port of Fujairah.
Last year, Etihad Rail selected US-based Jacobs Engineering for the engineering design contract for stage 2 and future routes of the railway network. It also awarded French engineering consultancy Egis Group the project management consultancy contract for the scheme. Etihad Rail also awarded the $436 million (AED1.6bn) systems and integration contract for stage 2 to Hitachi Rail STS earlier this year.
