The UAE’s Etihad Rail has tendered a contract to construct and design the Abu Dhabi-Dubai high-speed rail. The scope of the contract entails designing and building the civil works and station packages for the line. Notice on the tender was issued earlier this week, and the submission deadline is expected to be in May. Interested companies and contractors are forming joint ventures to bid for the upcoming design-and-build work packages. The client company, Etihad Rail, is expected to issue the request for proposals on the project in Q1 of this year.
The company has already commenced post-prequalification clarifications with various firms. This is after they submitted prequalification documents in the last quarter of 2024 in November. The construction plans for the Abu Dhabi-Dubai high-speed rail network are in four phases. Moreover, the design speed of the trains running on the rail will be 350 kilometers per hour. The operating speed will also be designated at 320km/h.
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The Scope of Implementation of the Abu Dhabi-Dubai High-Speed Rail
The four phases proposed in the Abu Dhabi-Dubai high-speed aim to add further connectivity to other areas within the UAE gradually. The project’s first phase entails the construction of a railway line linking Abu Dhabi and Dubai. It is expected to be operational by 2030. On the other hand, the second phase will entail the development of an inner-city railway network. The network will entail 10 operational stations within the city of Abu Dhabi. The third phase of the railway project entails the construction of a connection between the cities of Dubai and Al-Ain. Lastly, the fourth phase entails the development of an inter-emirate connection that will link Dubai and Sharjah. Stretching from the Al-Zahiyah area of Abu Dhabi to Al-Jaddaf in Dubai, the 150-kilometer first phase of the project is expected to commence.
Civil works regarding the project have been split into two packages, Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Entailing four sections, the scope includes phases such as phase 1A. This phase stretches for 23.5 kilometers from Al-Zahiyah to Yas Island. Other phases include phases 1B, 1C, and 1D, with the last phase stretching for 9.2 kilometers. Moreover, it will start from the Abu Dhabi airport delta junction and connect with the airport’s station. The scope of the project also entails tunneling works stretching for 31 kilometers. Spanish engineering firms Sener and Ineco are the project’s engineering consultants.
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