EXCLUSIVE: Abu Dhabi moves on stalled rail project
28 November, 2017 | By JENNIFER AGUINALDO
Abu Dhabi has re-engaged with stakeholders for the design and route alignment for the upcoming phases of Etihad Rail, the UAE’s federal railway network.
This includes the rail project’s second stage, for which procurement was suspended in early 2016.
“We were told Stage 2 is no longer on hold,” a source who was present at a high-level meeting held last week tells MEED.
During the meeting, senior officials at the Abu Dhabi-based Federal Transport Authority and Fujairah Municipality primarily discussed the need for minor revisions to the current route alignment for Stage 3, which will link the railway to Fujairah as well as Ras al-Khaimah and Sharjah.
MEED earlier reported that the client, Etihad Rail, met with stakeholders in late 2016.
However, neither the FTA nor Etihad Rail has officially confirmed reviving the procurement process for Stage 2 so far.
MEED understands securing funding remains a key issue for the succeeding phases of the scheme.
Etihad Rail suspended the procurement for Stage 2 of the 1,200-kilometre national railway in January 2016, following a 30 per cent employee reduction.
The main package for the 628km Stage 2 has been tendered twice. Two groups were believed to have been shortlisted in the first tender. They include:
- Salini Impregilo (Italy) / Samsung C&T (South Korea) / Tristar (local)
- China Railway Construction Company (China ) / Ghantoot Group (local)
Based on the original design, Stage 2 will connect the railway to Mussafah, to the ports in Abu Dhabi and Jebel Ali, and to the Saudi and Omani borders.
Etihad Rail has been operational since late 2015.
Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc) is the offtaker for the railway’s first stage, which is used mainly to transport granulated sulphur from Shah and Habshan to the Mirfa depot in Ruwais, from where it is being exported.
Related Posts
Maire Tecnimont is expected to take between one and one a half years to complete the feed works
Abu Dhabi Polymers Company (Borouge), the joint venture of Adnoc and Austria’s Borealis, ...
READ MORE
With Bahrain’s branding in place and further tourism growth expected, the country is now shifting its focus to new markets
Much is expected from tourism in Bahrain, and the sector has ...
READ MORE
Industry experts gathered in Abu Dhabi to discuss disruptive trends in the oil and gas sector
Oil companies in the Gulf must change the way they work if they are to ...
READ MORE
Tightening fiscal space broadens Middle East opportunities for public-private partnerships once again
Outside the power and water sectors, public-private partnership (PPP) projects have had only limited success in the Middle East ...
READ MORE
Despite the appetite for a growing pipeline of infrastructure projects, significant barriers remain to the flow of global liquidity into the regional project market
Across the Middle East and North Africa ...
READ MORE
Amid a decline in global oil demand due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Opec has, for the first time, placed a date on the likely point of peak oil demand
On 13 ...
READ MORE
Extension is a result of the Covid-19 pandemic
Kuwait has extended the bid deadlines for all oil, gas and chemical tenders that are issued through the Central Agency for Public Tenders ...
READ MORE
Growth holds despite negative inflation and weaker project activity
READ MORE
Highlights from the sixth Mashreq Construction Club
Financial regulations impact not just the banking sector, but all industries that require capital support. The GCC is home to a significant construction sector ...
READ MORE
Buyers and suppliers stand to benefit from the greater transparency and coordination enabled by the digitalisation of supply chain finance platforms, says Mashreq Bank
Global study indicates $1tn gap ...
READ MORE
Abu Dhabi to tender Borouge 4 in mid-2020
Bahrain moves to next phase of tourism plan
ENERGY CLUB 2: Oil & Gas Transformation
Governments refocus on public-private partnerships
The infrastructure financing challenge
Opec recognises concept of peak oil demand
Kuwait extends oil and gas tenders by three
UAE maintains its economic course
CONSTRUCTION CLUB 6: Emerging regulations impact contracting finance
Digitalisation can help close $1tn supply chain finance
28 November, 2017 | .By JENNIFER AGUINALDO
