Etihad Rail is in the final stages of evaluating tenders for the construction of Stage Two that will connect Abu Dhabi to Dubai, and to Saudi Arabia and Oman.
John Thomas, Regulatory Affairs Advisor at Etihad Rail, confirmed the tenders for stage were reissued because of what he said was “further project studies and detailed scoping process,”.
Stage Two of Etihad Rail covers 628 kilometres of railway that will connect Abu Dhabi with the Saudi Arabian border at Ghweifat and with the Omani border at Al Ain.
“Stage Two will represent a major step to link the UAE to the wider GCC rail network by connecting the country to Saudi Arabia and Oman, and initial construction is expected to commence soon after contracts have been finalised and awarded,” Thomas stated.
Stage One has been completed for some time now and is used for commercially to move sulphur from Shah and Habshan in the Abu Dhabi Western Region along 264 kilometres of rail to the Ruwais port, also in the Abu Dhabi Western Region.
Once completed, the Etihad Rail will cover all seven emirates, stretching 1,200 kilometres across the UAE from Abu Dhabi to Ras Al Khaimah. The national rail network is being built at an estimated cost of Dh40 billion. It is unclear when passenger operations will start.
Photo: gulfbusiness.com
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