#PROJECT: UAE RAILWAY [Archive]

DUBAI

May 18th, 2008, 08:04 AM

http://www.ameinfo.com/157044.html

Sheikh Saud briefed on UAE railway network project
H.H. Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah, received Dr. Nasser Saif Al Mansouri, Director General of the National Transport Authority (NTA), who called on him at the Ruler’s Court

During the meeting Dr. Nasser Saif Al Mansouri briefed Sheikh Saud on the progress made in the planning for the UAE national railway network.

Sheikh Saud said that UAE should have excellent transportation networks and infrastructure in line with the remarkable economic growth currently taking place in the country.

“An integrated and reliable transportation network across the country would greatly help in reducing congestion and increase productivity and economic growth of the country,” he added.

Dr. Nasser Al Mansouri said that the planning process for the UAE railway network was progressing well and was in the final stages.

“We are right now in the final stages of planning and need to provide an alignment for the UAE national network,” he said and added that the UAE national rail network would run from the country’s border with Saudi Arabia and would cover all the emirates.

Dr. Nasser added that the national rail alignment plan would be submitted for discussions at the GCC level as part of efforts for having a GCC- wide railway network. “The meeting of the Transportation Ministers, scheduled to be held in Riyadh in June, would discuss the alignment plans for the Gulf region”, he added.

He said that the national rail network was part of the strategic plan of the UAE Government and expected to ease to ease traffic congestion and reduce the number of trucks on the roads.

“The number of trucks on UAE roads is increasing fast and it is expected to reach one million by 2015. We need to have efficient transportation network to reduce congestion” he said.

Dr. Nasser said that the rail network could be used for handling cargo as well as for passenger transport, depending on the management and operation of the network.

THE DUBAI GUYS

November 8th, 2008, 02:36 PM

Emirates railway set to open in 2011

Published: 07 November 2008 18:44 GMT Author: Colin Foreman

Official documents reveal plans to open first phase of rail link in 2011 and the entire network by 2015.

The UAE plans to complete the first stage of the long-awaited inter-emirates rail network by mid-2011, with the entire network complete by late 2015, according to official documents seen by MEED.

The project will be managed by a new agency known as Union Railway. The first phase will be 573.5 kilometres in length and will serve Abu Dhabi and parts of Dubai. The second phase will be 246km and will serve other parts of Dubai, the northern emirates and the east coast.

The backbone of the network will be an inland line that will run from Ghuweifat on the Saudi Arabian border, past Ruwais, and through the desert to Ras al-Khaimah. Spur lines will serve Mussafah, Abu Dhabi airport, Khalifa Port and Taweelah, Jebel Ali, Dubai and Sharjah, Al-Ain in Abu Dhabi's eastern region, and Fujairah and Khor Fakkan on the east coast.

According to the rail agency's plans, construction will be broken down into six stages that will be carried out in two phases.

Stage one covers the line connecting Mussafah and Taweelah. Tenders for this section are expected soon, as an award is scheduled for mid-2009 with actual construction due to start in early 2010. Completion is set for mid 2011.

An award for stage two, from Taweelah to Jebel Ali, will be made at the same time, but construction will not start until the final quarter of 2010. Completion of this section is also scheduled for mid-2011.

Stage three, from Mussafah to Ruwais, and stage four, from Ruwais to Ghuweifat, will be awarded in early 2010. Construction of stage three will start in early 2011 and completion is set for mid-2012. Work on stage four will start in late 2011 and finish in late 2013.

Stage five, which will be part of a second phase of work, will run from Jebel Ali to Port Saqr in Ras al-Khaimah. An award is expected in mid-2010 with construction starting in late 2011 and ending in early 2014. The final sixth stage, which is also part of phase two will run from the Ghayl junction through Fujairah to Khor Fakkan on the east coast. It will be awarded in early 2010 with construction starting in early 2011 and completion set for early 2015.

A German consortium of Dornier Consulting, Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Technische Zusammenarbeit and De-Consult has prepared a feasibility study for the project on behalf of the Planning & Economy Department (MEED 8:2:08).

Union Railway, which was created in 2007 to supervise the development of the inter-emirates rail network, is headed by Hussain al-Nowais. He is also chairman of Emirates Steel Industries, National Petroleum Construction Company, and Abu Dhabi Basic Industries Corporation (Adbic).

Other Union Railways board members include Juma Mubarak al-Junaibi, the general manager of Abu Dhabi Municipality; Jaber Hareb al-Khaili, chief executive officer of the Higher Corporation for Specialised Economic Zones (ZonesCorp); Nasser Saif al-Mansouri, the director general of the National Transport Authority; Falah al-Ahbabi, the general manager of the Urban Planning Council; Mohamed Hareb al-Yousef, the assistant undersecretary of the Transport Department; and Khalid Saleh al-Rashidi, general manager of TransAD.

Abu Dhabi emirate is also planning to form a public transport company to manage its proposed metro system. Unlike the Dubai metro, the network will be largely underground. It will run through tunnels along Abu Dhabi island to Hamdan street where it will connect with lines serving Saadiyat island and downtown Abu Dhabi. It will run above ground on Saadiyat island.

In December 2007, the Transport Department appointed UK consultants Mott MacDonald and Steer Davies Gleave for a study on a masterplan for surface transport.

Dubai's Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) has received bids for an integrated rail transit study as the emirate considers building more rail routes to serve developments in the emirate and incorporating them into the proposed inter-emirates rail link.

The bidders include Arup, Halcrow, Hyder Consulting, all UK-based, and US-based Parsons Brinckerhoff.

Four metro lines are either planned or under way in the emirate. The first of these, the Red line, is under construction and is scheduled for completion in September 2009. The Green line is expected to open in October 2010. A joint venture of Parsons International and Systra is the consultant for both lines.

A high-speed link, the Purple line, which could connect Dubai International Airport and the new Al-Maktoum Airport at Dubai World Central in the Jebel Ali area, is also planned, pending the resolution of funding issues between the RTA and the Civil Aviation Department. Parsons Brinckerhoff was appointed as the consultant for this scheme in 2007.

A fourth line, the Blue line, will also link the two airports, but will not be a high-speed connection. It will run in parallel to Emirates road and serve the Dubailand area. The tender for the consultancy role has yet to be tendered.

http://www.meed.com/news/2008/11/emirates_railway_set_to_open_in_2011.html

R

Bimcnorth

November 9th, 2008, 11:36 PM

Emirates railway set to open in 2011...

Very interesting, apart from the obvious benefits to the emirates themselves it might also change the landscape somewhat as some building projects will try to either avoid or embrace this railway availability.

thefreestyler

November 26th, 2008, 04:54 PM

whts the speed of this railway.......?????

DUBAI

November 27th, 2008, 04:05 AM

about 7

LoverOfDubai

November 27th, 2008, 07:24 AM

whts the speed of this railway.......?????

It is too early to have a speed decided. The railway is still in the planning stages.

thefreestyler

November 27th, 2008, 04:53 PM

about 7

about 7........??...wht u mean..

luv2bebrown

November 27th, 2008, 05:27 PM

^the speed of the train will be 7 in arbitrary units

LoverOfDubai

November 27th, 2008, 07:41 PM

Maybe a speed of 7 emirates per day?

worldwide

November 29th, 2008, 10:46 AM

7 hours per mile

AltinD

November 30th, 2008, 02:05 PM

about 7........??...wht u mean..

7 this .......

whts the speed of this railway.......?????

Trances

December 1st, 2008, 03:36 PM

Not much talk about how it will run through the city ?

Naz UK

December 1st, 2008, 06:18 PM

On rails, presumably. :runaway:

AltinD

December 1st, 2008, 06:23 PM

^^ As it does in London ... or you don't know anything about it, do you :runaway:

PakFan

December 1st, 2008, 11:54 PM

Tenders issued for 800km emirates railway plan

Tenders have been issued for the construction of an 800km railway project to link Dubai with Abu Dhabi and the northern emirates.

The first phase of the rail scheme will be 573.5 kilometres in length and will serve Abu Dhabi and parts of Dubai.

The second phase will be 246 kilometres and will serve other parts of Dubai, the northern emirates and the east coast.

It is understood that the first phase of the project would be completed by 2011, with the entire network finished by 2015.

The backbone of the network will be an inland line that will run from Ghuweifat on the Saudi Arabian border, past Ruwais and through the desert to Ras al Khaimah.

Branch lines will serve Mussafah, Abu Dhabi Airport, Khalifa Port and Taweelah, Jebel Ali, Dubai and Sharjah, Al Ain in Abu Dhabi's eastern region and Fujairah and Khor Fakkan on the east coast.

Source: Arabian Business

docc

December 2nd, 2008, 07:57 AM

^^ Fantastic progress. This is only possible in the Middle-East thanks to the lack of bureaucracy and political crap that most countries have to put up with.

Parisian Girl

December 2nd, 2008, 05:28 PM

^^ True, docc, too much horseshit and red tape in the west to get anything like this done! :bash::bash: Would take many many years - if at all - even to get most of Dubai's supertall towers built! Chances are, they would never get done with all the moaning "what about this" and "what about that" going on! :bash::bash:

Little rant over now! lol :D

This is a great project though, much needed, and will give the roads / traffic much breathing space I would think. :)

Bimcnorth

December 2nd, 2008, 11:03 PM

I´m very much in favour of this project...:banana:

As for the fact that any NIMBYS or red tape cowboys having no say in this project (or any project really?) we can just be grateful..

killerk

December 2nd, 2008, 11:42 PM

The only NIMBY I know in Abu dhabi is the property around a Sheikh's palace, portion of which made way for the 2nd runway of Abu Dhabi Airport....the palace is visible in Google earth.....

Now he can see planes landing from his backyard!!

KSR

December 31st, 2008, 07:01 AM

120 KMPH FREIGHT, 200 KMPH PASSENGER

Private Eye

January 2nd, 2009, 01:21 AM

Wow, this is good news for us commuters. I bet rail is much safer than the Abu Dhabi-Dubai road.

davsot

February 16th, 2009, 06:40 AM

Hope it's all extreme HSR. BTW, if someone could find renders would be great. The first two pictures aren't working... I looked everywhere on the Internet couldn't find any.

DUBAI

March 23rd, 2009, 12:26 PM

http://www.gulfnews.com/nation/Traff.../10297521.html

The network, which would see a double track rail service built from Ruwais in Abu Dhabi to Fujairah, was approved by the Ministerial Council for Services, WAM said on Sunday.

The council chaired by Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Presidential Affairs, passed a federal law setting up the Union Railways Company, whose major business will be rail transportation in the country.

Tenders for the project will be offered by 2015, Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Public Works, has said recently.

Details of the cost of the network have yet to be released - but some sources said the figure could reach more than $3billion (Dh11b).

It will be done in two phases. The first phase of the project will focus mainly on creating an industrial railway, which will take 5 years to complete.

The second phase will be a passenger rail line that links all seven emirates. When the project is completed, there would be around 1,000 km of track running from the coat to the Saudi border.

The minister said Dubai's metro system is not connected to the national rail network. "Studies for the trans-Emirates rail network has been completed and a body has been created to make policies and regulations for the rail transport in the country," he told the legislature.

This will require a speedy and efficient transportation and distribution network, in which the rail will play a vital role, they said.

Once completed, the network will link up with similar projects in neighbouring GCC countries.

The network would ultimately be connected to the planned GCC railway network whose construction is scheduled to start in 2010.

Dubai2011

March 23rd, 2009, 07:19 PM

Great idea and looking forward to it being built

noir-dresses

May 12th, 2009, 10:48 AM

found this

http://www.thestar.com/business/article/632647

killerk

July 8th, 2009, 04:10 PM

Ivan Gale

Last Updated: July 08. 2009 5:44PM UAE / July 8. 2009 1:44PM GMT The Government issued a decree today officially establishing Union Railways Company, with a capitalisation of Dh1 billion (US$273.9m), to oversee a planned federal rail system in the Emirates.

Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed, President of the UAE and Ruler of Abu Dhabi, established the new entity to develop a freight and passenger rail system through the seven emirates, the WAM state news agency reported.

The decree formalises a group that had been in the planning stages for some time. A rail committee, composed of members from the National Transportation Authority, Abu Dhabi Basic Industries Corporation, and delegates from each of the seven emirates, is already planning the alignments of the rail network.

Last week, UK media reported that Richard Bowker, chief executive of British rail firm National Express, was departing to take the top executive job at Union Railways. Those reports estimated the rail network could cost as high as £20bn (Dh119bn).

The first phase of the rail system is expected to be built in Abu Dhabi. With a special emphasis on serving a developing industrial sector, the network will connect with Al Ain airport, Abu Dhabi airport, the Musaffah industrial area, and the Khalifa Port and Industrial Zone.

igale@thenational.ae

Source: http://www.thenational.ae/article/20090708/BUSINESS/707089962/1138

Imre

August 3rd, 2009, 05:51 PM

UAE starts work on plans for rail

Matthew Chung

Last Updated: August 02. 2009 10:34PM UAE / August 2. 2009 6:34PM GMT ABU DHABI // International rail regulators and consultants are competing to win the right to draft regulations for the country’s planned rail network.

National standards will be drafted to regulate future rail projects, including a countrywide freight and passenger network, the National Transport Authority said yesterday.

The authority expects to appoint a consultant by the end of the month to help it prepare the rail regulations, it said in a statement.

More than a dozen international consultants and rail regulators have responded to the tender, including organisations in the US, Germany, France, Australia and the UK.

Establishing the regulations is a critical step for the authority in establishing itself as an independent regulator, and for a UAE rail industry still in its infancy.

The new standards, expected to be ready by the end of next year, will have to be met by all future rail projects.

They will cover issues such as competition, licensing, safety and engineering, the authority said, and will require Cabinet approval to become federal law. “The introduction of heavy rail for passengers and freight in the UAE heralds the emergence of [a] new railway industry in our country,” said Dr Nasser Saif al Mansoori, the general manager of the authority and chairman of the UAE Permanent Rail Committee.

“This is why the government want us to ensure that this industry is properly developed and regulated early, to gain public trust and investor confidence in our emerging railway infrastructure and its associated systems.

“When you are dealing with a safety-critical industry such as railways, both public and private investors’ trust and confidence would be far more assured with having independent and strong regulations.”

The news comes a month after the government announced the establishment by Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed, President of the UAE, of the Union Railways Company with a capitalisation of Dh1 billion (US$270m).

The company will oversee the building of a rail line that will run between the Ghweifat border post and Ras al Khaimah, with an additional line to the border with Oman at Al Ain.

It will eventually become the UAE portion of a wider GCC Railway plan linking the six member states, which is awaiting approval by GCC ministers.

It is expected that the GCC rail network will be operational by 2016, with each state responsible for its own portion of track.

The UAE is separating the regulatory body from the operation and maintenance of rail, and in doing so, it follows European Union directives for the rail industry.

This will ensure railway infrastructure companies and owners concentrate on the management and development of infrastructure, while rail regulators focus on making regulations more efficient, relevant and enforceable, the authority said.

In the UK, for instance, the Office of Rail Regulation is the independent safety and economic regulator overseeing mainline rail, underground rail, light rail and tramways, as well as minor and heritage railways.

Robert David, director of the Middle East rail group for Bovis Lend Lease, an international project management and construction company, said developing regulations was an “essential move” by the government.

“With so much rail development about to happen, without [federal regulations], there would be great risks of incompatibilities and consequential problems,” he said.

The regulations will ensure interoperability of rail across the country as well as insisting that the technologies used are tried and tested, the authority said.

http://www.thenational.ae/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090803/NATIONAL/708029843/1138

noir-dresses

September 28th, 2009, 11:15 PM

Bombardier wins Chinese high-speed train contract

http://business2press.com/2009/09/28/bombardier-wins-chinese-high-speed-train-contract/

I wouldn't be surprised if Bombardier wins the UAE rail project aswell

iownyou

September 29th, 2009, 12:53 AM

i think this project is the best project in thew whole uae. besides dubai metro this is the backbone of the future of uae.this will make uae a real country and not only sand dunes

iownyou

September 29th, 2009, 05:04 AM

when is work going to start any pictures????? if i was in dubai i would take nothing but pictures and i know one day i would come across imre

skdubai

September 29th, 2009, 12:31 PM

^^ they are still at the planning stage... nothing to take pictures of yet!!!

noir-dresses

September 29th, 2009, 09:25 PM

Gulf rail network cost balloons up to $25bn

http://www.business24-7.ae/Articles/2009/9/Pages/29092009/09302009_21caa76a439146a385abaa3adb918640.aspx

Dubaiiscool:)

October 1st, 2009, 01:11 AM

Etihad Railways Company will play a key role in further speeding up the development of the UAE, said its newly appointed Chairman Hussein Jassim Al Nowais yesterday.

The establishment of a railway network will enhance the investment climate in the country and support the competitive advantage in attracting foreign investment, he said.

Nowais expressed his pride in the trust placed in him by the President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, by assigning him to chair the Board of Directors of the company. The company was founded recently with a capital of Dh1 billion.

Nowais said the board of directors will work hard to achieve the vision and aspirations of the President, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and General Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces and Chairman of the Executive Council of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.

He said the project represents an important step in promoting the idea of the federation laid down by the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.

Nowais said Etihad Railways is one of the most vital and strategic projects to be implemented by the state within its ongoing quest to achieve more comprehensive development.

He said the rail project would be part of a plan of a much developed public transportation in the country and will promote integration between different means of transportation in the country.

Nowais also revealed that the initial estimated cost of the project will be between Dh25bn and Dh30bn, and will construct a railway line of a total length of 1,100 kilometres, connecting Ghuwaifat, bordering the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in the west and the border with the Sultanate of Oman in the east.

The expansion of the railway line in the future will depend on the need to connect more areas of economic and development in the country, particularly connecting Madinat Zayed and Liwa in Abu Dhabi with the rest of the regions, said Nuwais.

He said the railway line to be built in the country will be part of a regional railway network linking the GCC states, and will enhance bilateral trade and facilitate the movement of goods and passengers between these countries.

He said the Etihad Railways will be part of the Gulf railway project, which will connect the six GCC countries, at a total cost about $25bn (Dh91.82bn), where each state would bear the proportional cost according to the length of the railway line in their respective territories.

Nowais said the project will be funded through direct funding as well as through local and international banks and the issuance of bonds designed for this project.

He said phased funding will be achieved over five to seven years.

The preliminary studies on the railway project have been carried out by the supervisory committee and the studies, which lasted about two years, have confirmed the economic feasibility of the project.

Tenders for the engineering design and other technical sides of the project will be invited early next year, with the execution of the project to commence by the end of 2010, said Nuwais.

Nowais said the company has started building its organisational and administrative structures and will attract local talent. He said the railway aims to achieve a number of goals, including the linkage of remote areas with urban areas through a network of safe and quick transportation to contribute to the development of all regions in the country. (With inputs from Wam)

http://www.business24-7.ae/Articles/2009/10/Pages/30092009/10012009_2132af75950b4092b6621e3e055c6bd5.aspx

BinDubai

October 1st, 2009, 04:24 AM

its about time :)

iownyou

October 1st, 2009, 04:47 AM

important progress

gulf news
Abu Dhabi: The UAE will invest Dh25 billion to Dh30 billion to build a strategic, countrywide network of railways spread over 1,100 kilometres, newly appointed chairman of Etihad (Union) Railways Company Hussain Jasem Al Nowais said on Wednesday.We will have a railway line connecting Al Ghweifat on the border with Saudi Arabia to Fujairah and another from Abu Dhabi to Al Ain all the way to the border with Oman," Al Nowais said.

According to the decree, Mohammad Mattar Al Tayer will be deputy chairman of the board. Other members of the board include Mohammad Saeed Al Danhani, Falah Mohammad Al Ahbabi, Dr Abdullah Bel Haif Al Nuaimi, Dr Nasser Saif Al Mansouri, Abdullah Mohammad Al Zari, Mohammad Hareb Sultan Al Yousuf, and Jamal Majid Bin Theniyah, the new board chairman said.

Al Nowais said the key emphasis of the national railways would be on freight and the linking of the UAE with other countries in the Gulf Cooperation Council.

"There will be increased economic cooperation which will help our industries," he added.

"We now need to build the organisation, recruit experts with proven track records and also train our young nationals for this strategic and important project," said Al Nowais.

In July it was decided that the UAE would establish a railway company with a capital of Dh1 billion to build a countrywide network of railways following a decree by Shaikh Khalifa.

Etihad (Union) Railways Company is wholly owned by the UAE federal government. Its mandate includes building a modern network of trains connecting all parts of the UAE and carrying passengers and cargo.

The company will own, lease, rent, buy and sell trains of various types and will also be responsible for their maintenance.

The network, was approved by the Ministerial Council for Services earlier this year.

http://www.gulfnews.com/business/Construction/10353735.html

"The investments in the project will be spread over a period of five to seven years and will be construction linked. These are preliminary estimates. The first tenders will be floated in the first quarter of 2010," Al Nowais told Gulf News in a telephone interview, shortly after his appointment by President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan through a federal decree.

Decree No 75 of 2009 formulated the board of directors of the Etihad (Union) Railways Company. The board will serve for a three-year term and is renewable, the decree stipulated. The decree takes effect from the date of issue.

Dubaiiscool:)

October 1st, 2009, 06:26 AM

Work on new UAE rail network could start by end-2010 according to this article (http://www.arabianbusiness.com/569040-work-on-new-uae-rail-network-could-start-by-end-2010).

iownyou

October 2nd, 2009, 12:39 AM

best project in the whole uae

zerozol

October 12th, 2009, 11:17 PM

Gulf rail projects could exceed $60b

Construction of the long-awaited rail network that will link the six members of the GCC is expected to start in 2010 or 2011.

By Himendra Mohan Kumar, Staff ReporterPublished: 00:00 October 13, 2009

http://gulfnews.com/polopoly_fs/dubai-metro-1.513904!image/2718473371.jpg_gen/derivatives/box_475/2718473371.jpg
Dubai Metro seems to be a precursor to GCC-wide railway developments. The long-awaited Gulf network is expected to start in 2010 or 2011. Image Credit: Gulf News

Abu Dhabi: The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries' proactive approach to building railroad networks, whose estimated cost is more than $60 billion (Dh220 billion), will help boost cross-border trade, cut freight costs and result in faster movement of cargo and passengers, experts have said.

"Rail is safer, faster, cleaner and [a] more economical mode of transportation. Strong logistics networks encourage trade and provide industry with a competitive advantage," Hussain Al Nowais, chairman of the UAE's newly created Union Railway Company, told delegates at a rail conference organised by Meed.

Construction of the long-awaited rail network that will link the six members of the GCC is expected to start in 2010 or 2011. The cost will be shared among the six Gulf states — Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

In the UAE, the Union Railway Company has estimated it will cost up to Dh30 billion to build a countrywide network of railways by 2016, with a track length of almost 1,400km.

In Dubai, the cost of building the Metro stood at Dh28 billion for the two lines.
If everything proceeds smoothly, the GCC railway network, stretching 2,000km from the Kuwait-Iraq border to Oman, will come online in 2017.

Strategic location

Union Railway leverages the strategic location of the UAE. It aims to connect the UAE to Oman and Saudi Arabia — connecting to Sohar in Oman through Al Ain, and connecting to Fujairah in the Eastern region.

It will offer two routes that provide alternative access to the Indian Ocean. The railway will also connect to Saudi Arabia through the Guweifat border and greater GCC and Mena regions.

Union Railway expects to transport 30 million tonnes of bulk and break bulk by 2015. At present, rail transport in Saudi Arabia is managed by the Saudi Railway Organisation, which provides freight services on three main lines totalling 1,018km. There are plans to extend the network to the Red Sea port of Jeddah and eventually, to the borders of Jordan, Yemen, and perhaps all the way to Egypt.

http://gulfnews.com/business/gulf-rail-projects-could-exceed-60b-1.513890

zerozol

October 12th, 2009, 11:28 PM

UAE national railway contracts to be awarded from 2010

The UAE plans to get its first operating railway track in 2013-14 with trains expected to transport granulated sulphur from the Shah and Habshan fields

By Himendra Mohan Kumar, Staff Reporter Published: 00:00 October 13, 2009

Abu Dhabi: The UAE plans to get its first operating railway track in 2013-14 with trains expected to transport granulated sulphur from the Shah and Habshan fields of the state-owned Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc) to Ruwais, Hussain Al Nowais, Chairman of the Union Railway, said in Abu Dhabi on Monday.

"The line will be used to transport freight, but may also be used to transport passengers," Al Nowais told delegates at a Meed (Middle East Economic Digest) conference.

"The project implementation schedule is 5-7 years. We will begin awarding the contracts starting 2010," he added.

Al Nowais had previously indicated that the proposed countrywide rail network is estimated to cost between Dh25 billion and Dh30 billion.

Strategic initiative

The Union Railway is in advanced stages of discussion and coordination with Adnoc to explore transporting more than 7 million tonnes a year of granulated sulphur from the Shah and Habshan oil and gas fields into Ruwais, Al Nowais said at the conference.

The strategic initiative will support Adnoc's ongoing investment programme in the Shah and Habshan oil and gas fields and contribute to the development of the oil, natural gas and petrochemical industries in the country, he said.

Additionally, it will help to accelerate the development of the Western Region, in line with Abu Dhabi Vision 2030, he said.

"This section of the railway will be fast-tracked to meet Adnoc's schedule and requirements," Al Nowais added.

Al Nowais said connecting the Shah and Habshan fields with Ruwais will add nearly 300 kilometres to the originally planned 1,100 kilometre countrywide railway network.

He said the freight transporation target for Union Railway in the first phase of operations is 30 million metric tonnes.

Passenger traffic target

The passenger traffic target will be set in the next few weeks when a traffic study is concluded, Al Nowais added.

He said the UAE railway network will be built to international standards.

The trains will run at speeds between 80 and 120 kilometres per hour for freight transport and between 160 and 200 kilometres per hour for passenger transport.

Union Railway was established in 2009 under Federal Law No. 2 with a mandate to manage the development, construction and operation of the UAE's national railway.

The railway will be built to link the principal centres of population and industry of the UAE, and will be part of the planned GCC railway network at a later stage. There will be a railway line connecting Al Ghweifat on the border with Saudi Arabia to Fujairah and another from Abu Dhabi to Al Ain all the way to the UAE's border with Oman.

http://gulfnews.com/business/general/uae-national-railway-contracts-to-be-awarded-from-2010-1.513897

iownyou

October 13th, 2009, 07:12 PM

Funding 'fully available' for Union Railway

By

Abdel Hai Mohamad on Tuesday, October 13, 2009

The UAE government is fully able to find the financial credit for its vast railway project, due to start next year, said the Chairman of the Union Railway Company.

The railway project, scheduled for completion by late 2014, will be constructed in phases, the first in the capital, with stations at Shah, Habshan and Al Rowais.

"We do not have any financial problem, and the federal government will finance the project, which is strategic and sovereign," said Hussain Jassem Al Nowais, speaking to Emirates Business on the sidelines of the Middle East Rail Projects 2009, organised by Middle East Economic Digest (Meed) in Abu Dhabi.

"The fallout of the global financial crisis will not affect the implementation according to schedule. I expect it will take between five and seven years," he said.

Al Nowais said the Union Railway Company, set up with a capital of Dh1 billion, will place the first tender early next year for the project, which is planned to be completed in several phases.

He expected the tenders to see strong competition among international companies, adding that the Union Railway will be one of the most strategic and vital projects built by the UAE within its endeavour to achieve comprehensive development.

When asked about drawing up the track of the railway in Dubai and the northern emirates, Al Nowais said: "Currently we are consulting with the bodies concerned in Dubai and the northern emirates to set the track, and so far, no agreement has been reached. I expect we will finish this in the coming period."

Al Nowais said according to preliminary studies the length of the railway will reach 1,100km and will link Ghuwaifat centre on the border with Saudi Arabia in the west with the border point with Oman in the east. Any increase in the length will depend on the need to link more economic and development areas of the UAE, especially Zayed City and Liwa in Abu Dhabi, with the rest of the areas covered by the train.

He said the completion date of 2017 will be good but it might be brought forward given the big importance of the project.

The study revealed the train will carry some 30 million tonnes of freight a year. The number of passengers will be calculated in several weeks time.

Total cost at the moment will be no less than Dh30 billion, said Al Nowais.

Asked whether the railway will be part of the Gulf train, Al Nowais said, "Undoubtedly it will be part of the Gulf train, which is an important project of the Gulf Co-operation Council. There is efficient co-ordination between the UAE and other GCC member-states in this respect."

The cost of the Gulf train linking the six member-states is between $20bn (Dh73.4bn) and $25 billion.

He said the Union Railway Company conducted studies over two years, which confirmed the economic feasibility of the UAE train project.

Al Nowais said the train project links remotes areas of the nation with urban areas through a safe and fast network contributing to the development of all areas and emirates.

Adnoc to reap benefits

The Union Railway Company is currently involved in discussions with Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc), which could largely benefit in transportation of Sulphur from the proposed railway project.

Hussain Jassem Al Nowais, Chairman of the Union Railway Company, said the talks cover the movement of some seven million tonnes of sulphur a year from Shah and Habshan fields to Rowais.

"Negotiations have reached an advanced stage and currently they are of technical and technological nature." He expected the final co-operation plan before the end of the year.

An agreement with Adnoc will extend the railway line for 240km, said Al Nowais.

He praised the constructive co-operation on the part of Adnoc management as well as the active response to boost understanding between the two companies' activities. Al Nowais said the harmony flows into the interest of the sustainable development process witnessed by Abu Dhabi and the UAE in general.

The Chairman described the partnership with Adnoc as strategic and said the project should boost the investment plans by Adnoc in Shah and Habshan.

Alstom in Dubai tram talks

French engineering company Alstom said it is in talks for a five-year contract to maintain a €550 million (Dh2.9bn) tram system in Dubai, and is close to signing high-speed rail project deal in Morocco.

Marc Chagnas, Vice-President of business development for transport in south Europe, said yesterday Alstom was also focusing on winning a tender for a multi-billion dollar high speed rail linking Jeddah with Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia.

The group is looking to boost its business in the world's largest oil exporting region, where governments are pouring billions of dollars into developing infrastructure as they diversify their economies.

"We see in the Middle East real projects with advanced financing schemes, engineering and that is not forgetting urban transport projects," Chagnas said in an interview on the sidelines of a conference in Abu Dhabi.

A consortium including Alstom won the contract to build the first phase of Dubai's tram system in June 2008, for which its share was about €300m.

The tram, which is scheduled to be completed by 2012, will link to Dubai Metro, which opened in September. (Reuters)

zerozol

November 17th, 2009, 09:45 PM

Jebel Ali airport to be linked to Union Railway

Emirates airline to move hub to new facility by 2020

By Saifur Rahman, Business EditorPublished: 13:19 November 17, 2009

Dubai: The Dubai World Central-Al Maktoum International (DWC-AMI) is expected to be connected to the Dubai Metro and later to the Union Railway which will help it to serve a wider catchment of passengers beyond Dubai, when fully developed by 2020, a top official said.

"I know that the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) and the Union Railway company is talking to integrate the DWC-AMI in to their network which will help passengers as we look to serve 160 million when the airport is fully developed," Paul Griffiths, Chief Executive of Dubai Airports, a Dubai Government-owned company that will operate both airports, told Gulf News at the Air Show.
(...)

http://gulfnews.com/business/aviation/jebel-ali-airport-to-be-linked-to-union-railway-1.528685

iownyou

January 13th, 2010, 11:44 PM

http://gulfnews.com/business/features/riding-the-desert-rails-1.567566

The multi-billion dollar project is reported to have received the endorsement and blessings of the heads of GCC states in their latest summit in Kuwait last December, paving the way for the implementation of a vital project in the desert sands.

By Jumana Al Tamimi, Associate Editor Published: 00:00 January 14, 2010
2,200km is the expected length of the railway which will start in Kuwait and pass through Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, UAE and Oman. Image Credit: SuppliedImage 1 of 212 A railway network linking the six countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council is likely to be launched by 2017.

It's a move that is expected to start a rail "revolution" in the desert sands, allowing easier movement among the member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), boosting inter-trade and further cementing their 29-year-old alliance.

The multi-billion dollar project has already received the endorsement and blessings of the heads of GCC states in their latest summit in Kuwait last December, paving the way to implementing what is seen as a vital project in the region. The GCC states are Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar and Oman.

"They (GCC leaders) are very enthusiastic about it," said Ebrahim Al Sabti in an interview with Gulf News. Al Sabti is head of the transportation division at the GCC secretariat in Riyadh.

Guest89

January 13th, 2010, 11:51 PM

When are they going to begin construction on the Railway in UAE?

Adam2707

January 18th, 2010, 06:50 PM

GCC train could hit 350kph

Passengers using a pan-GCC railway due for completion in 2017 could be whisked along at 350kph under a proposal for a super-high-speed network stretching from Kuwait through the UAE and on to Oman. A speed of 350kph is nearly 40 per cent of the cruising speed of an Airbus A380 jetliner.

Rail authorities from member states of the GCC are to decide this year whether to build tracks for the fast passenger trains, said Ramiz al Assar, a senior transport specialist with the World Bank Group, which is the adviser to the project.

The speed jump from the planned 200kph to a potential 350kph would come at a steep price: the project cost would rise from US$15 billion (Dh55bn) to an estimated $25bn, Mr al Assar said.

A detailed engineering design, expected to be completed in March, will look at the requirement for faster trains and will be presented to GCC member states the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

Should the decision be taken to run the high-speed trains along the 2,200km line, it would open up the possibility of travelling from Kuwait to Oman in a little more than six hours in one of the fastest trains in the world.

However, Mr al Assar, speaking on the sidelines of the Rail Infrastructure Middle East 2010 conference in Dubai, said the super-fast trains could not become a reality until “traffic studies indicate there is a viability of moving to that speed”.

A decision has already been taken to operate both freight and passenger services using 200kph diesel trains, he said, adding that the decision to go to 200kph “is an educated decision based on a thorough feasibility study”.

“The 350kph is only to do with the passenger traffic and can only be implemented when the heads of the member states see there is some potential or benefits.”

He said the planned railway would be built to handle greater speeds, making it possible to upgrade to a 350kph train.

The member states endorsed the construction of the railway at the annual GCC summit last month.

Under a tentative schedule, consortiums bidding to design the rail network will be screened in May and contracts awarded by early next year, Mr al Assar said.

Because of the high initial cost of the rail, governments will be required to finance a portion of the construction and look for private sector investment.

While such a big transport project would surely be a money-loser for the governments, Ebrahim al Sabti, the GCC secretary general, said it is “economically feasible”.

“It is going to reduce pollution, it is going to reduce road accidents, it is going to reduce road maintenance,” he said.

Feasibility studies are also looking at the possibility of a spur line from Muscat to Yemen.

Meanwhile, Yemen is set to launch in July a 2,000km rail project worth $3.5bn as part of plans to upgrade its infrastructure, Reuters reported yesterday.

Last month, the world’s fastest long-range train was launched in China, linking the southern China city of Guangzhou to the central city of Wuhan in a three-hour trip. The train had a top speed of 390kph during testing, with an average speed of 350kh.

iownyou

January 18th, 2010, 07:00 PM

Contracts for GCC rail project likely in December

Feasibility study for railway authority completed. Decision on speed upgrade to 350km at year end. System expected to be fully operational in 2016. (AP)

By

Karen Remo-Listana on Monday, January 18, 2010

Contracts for the GCC rail project are expected to be awarded in December this year while the $15.5 billion (Dh56.93bn) project is set to be fully operational by as early as 2016, a senior official said.

The regional railway, according to Dr Ramiz Al Assar, Senior Chief Representative, GCC Secretariat General, and senior transport specialist at the World Bank, was declared commercially and financially feasible by all the member states last month.

The project is now in the implementation phase. The GCC Secretary General office is now long listing consulting firms for the detailed engineering design and is expected to finalise the request for proposal and terms of reference next month.

Thereafter the secretariat would short-list consulting firms in November and award the contracts in December.

"We plan to award the contracts at the end of this year or very early next year," Al Assar told Emirates Business on the sidelines of the Rail Infrastructure Middle East 2010. "We will go through the international competitive bidding process, long list consulting firms, then do some prequalification and short listing. The dates are tentative but we hope to award in the shortest period."

http://www.business24-7.ae/Articles/2010/1/Pages/17012010/01182010_8abfd3a7bdd6457f8b9d03deff0a6c87.aspx

Guest89

January 18th, 2010, 07:01 PM

^^

Thank you. Glad to see some good news!

docc

January 18th, 2010, 07:13 PM

^^ A tad optimistic time frame isn't it? Dubai Metro took almost 5 years to complete (Red Line) so i doubt that the GCC-wide railway network will be done in 7 years.

Cayman

January 18th, 2010, 07:27 PM

^^
Docc,

The red line is not complete. Mostly empty trains running making less than half the required stops!

Guest89

January 18th, 2010, 07:30 PM

^^ A tad optimistic time frame isn't it? Dubai Metro took almost 5 years to complete (Red Line) so i doubt that the GCC-wide railway network will be done in 7 years.

It is optimistic, but then again this region has the money and the will to do it. We have to wait and see when the contract is done and the initial speed of construction to determine whether it is possible.

docc

January 18th, 2010, 07:44 PM

Yes, but not all the GCC states are pure monarchy like the UAE.

Guest89

January 18th, 2010, 08:13 PM

^^ Also remember the Dubai Metro is elevated above ground and has underground section. That is why it took so long to build. The railway is on the ground and construction should be much faster!

docc

January 20th, 2010, 06:05 PM

^^
Docc,

The red line is not complete. Mostly empty trains running making less than half the required stops!

Are you for real? The metro is actually doing quite well and i can guarantee that you're not gonna get a seat during rush hour. I'm speaking from personal experience so don't ask me for more proof than that!

And don't forget that the Jafza, JLT and DM stations aren't even open yet. I can only imagine the pandemonium that will ensue once they do open.

Dubaiiscool:)

March 15th, 2010, 01:46 PM

The United Arab Emirates' 1500 kilometer planned rail network linking the country's seven sheikhdoms will cost up to 40 billion U.A.E dirhams ($10.89 billion) with the contract for the first phase of the project likely to be awarded by the end of the year, the chief executive of government-owned Union Railway said Monday.

"We estimate that the entire project will cost between AED30-40 billion," Richard Bowker told reporters on the sidelines of a logistics forum in Abu Dhabi.

The first phase of the project will be a 270 kilometers freight rail line from Abu Dhabi's Shah sour gas field to Ruwais on the Persian Gulf coast and is likely to be completed by the end of 2013. Union Railway, set up last July with a AED1 billion capital, will hold an outreach session for companies interested in bidding for the contract at the end of March with tenders "in the latter part of year", said Bowker, the former head of U.K.-base rail and bus operator National Express Group plc. "We aim to award the first contract by the end of 2010," he said. The entire project is expected to take 7 years to complete.

Bowker said the company is looking at all financing options for the project and that a decision "will be made in due course."

Union Railway is also looking into the feasibility of building a high-speed passenger rail between Abu Dhabi and Dubai, Bowker said, but plans are in the very early stages.

Bowker said he expects a lot of interest from international firms for the contracts.

"This project is considered to be of major international interest," he said. "We expect a high level of interest from everywhere."

Earlier this year in neighboring Dubai the Roads and Transport Authority was forced to issue a statement after a mainly Japanese consortium of companies said they would suspend construction on the $8 billion metro due to a delay in payment from the Dubai government.

http://www.zawya.com/Story.cfm/sidZW20100315000085/Union%20Railway%20CEO:%20UAE%20Rail%20Proj%20To%20Cost%20Up%20To%20AED40B

THE DUBAI GUYS

April 3rd, 2010, 08:50 AM

UAE's federal railway on a fast track

http://www.meed.com/sectors/transport/rail/uaes-federal-railway-on-a-fast-track/3005350.article

31 March, 2010 12:17 pm | By Suzanne Fenton

With plans to have the first section of the $11bn federal rail network completed by 2013, Abu Dhabi’s Union Railway is fast-tracking procurement on the Gulf’s most significant transport project

To passing guests, the guards on the stairs leading down to the main ballroom of the Emirates Palace Hotel were a clear sign that something important was taking place in Abu Dhabi’s premier conference venue.

Only those with invitations were being granted access to the room, and the expectant buzz from the 300 business people inside confirmed that this event was significant.

In Numbers: UAE Railway

* $11bn: Estimated cost of the Union Railway
* 264 km: Length of first phase
* 2011: Start of construction of first phase
* 2013: Completion of first phase
* 5,100: The number of diesel locomotives and freight wagons wanted for the UAE rail fleet

Source: MEED, Union Railway

It was. On 24 March, representatives from hundreds of the region’s leading project companies travelled to the Emirates Palace Hotel
to hear Abu Dhabi rail developer Union Railway present publicly for the first time its plans to spend $11bn on the development of a federal rail network linking the seven emirates of the UAE.

The project is not only significant for Abu Dhabi and the UAE, but also for the entire Gulf region, as it marks the first step towards turning into reality plans for a GCC-wide rail network linking Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Oman. And possibly even Yemen, under a project being considered by the World Bank.

Procurement strategy
The federal railway also provides hope to contractors, consultants and suppliers in the region at a time when the project market has slowed to a crawl.

At the event, Union Railway provided details of the proposed route of the new UAE railway, and of its projected procurement strategy, as well as the main technical challenges it anticipates having to overcome.

The railway will link all seven of the UAE’s emirates with rail lines running from Abu Dhabi’s western region through Dubai to Sharjah, Ajman, Umm al-Quwain, Ras al-Khaimah and Fujairah. A high-speed section is planned linking Abu Dhabi city to Dubai.

The project will take several years to complete and has been split initially into two major construction phases. Phase one connects the Empty Quarter in the south of Abu Dhabi emirate to the port of Ruwais on Abu Dhabi’s Gulf coast. The second phase linking the northern emirates to Abu Dhabi is likely to include a high-speed line between Abu Dhabi and Dubai, although plans for this are still at a very early stage.

The first phase aims to aid the transportation of granulated sulphur between the Shah and Habshan gas fields in the south of Abu Dhabi to Ruwais. It involves the construction of a 264-kilometre line that will connect the Shah gas field to Ruwais’s oil and gas processing and distribution facilities.

It will be successful only if they make sure the border facilities are accommodated so it is seamless and efficient

Glenn Thorn, head of transportation, Halcrow

Ultimately, the line will carry 7 million tonnes a year of granulated sulphur, making it the world’s largest sulphur transport scheme. The line supports state energy firm Abu Dhabi National Oil Company’s (Adnoc) ongoing production programmes at the Shah and Habshan fields. Later phases will contribute significantly to the development of the oil, natural gas and petrochemicals industries in the UAE.

Phase one is split into two sections: The first running from the Shah field with gas processing and distribution facilities to Habshan; The the second linking Habshan to Ruwais port. The line will also run through Mezaira’a, Madinat Zayed, Tarif and Al-Mirfa.

Union Railway will invite companies to submit expressions of interest for work on the first phase of the project in by the end of June. Companies will then be prequalified to bid on the deals by September. Construction contracts will be divided into two or three civil infrastructure packages, one or two track packages and one control systems package.

Union Railway has set itself an ambitious time line, with the first phase expected to be completed by 2013 and testing to begin in 2014. The tender process will also be tight, with civil engineering work on the Ruwais-Habshan section of the line set to begin by the end of 2010 and scheduled to finish for mid-2012. Civil engineering works on the Habshan-Shah section of the line are expected to begin in the first half of 2011 and are due to be completed by the second half of 2013.

Construction of the track running from Ruwais to Habshan is scheduled to start in the early part of 2011 and should be completed by the first quarter of 2013. Construction on the track between Habshan and Shah will start in the second half of 2011 and is scheduled for completion in mid-2014. Control systems will be integrated into the line over a three-year period between mid-2011 and mid-2014.

US-based engineering firm Bechtel is the favourite to win the project management and consultancy (PMC) contract, according to sources close to the project. The firm is also bidding on two PMC deals to oversee the construction of gas and sulphur production, processing and distribution facilities across the emirate as part of $10bn joint venture Shah gas project being developed by Abu Dhabi National Oil Company and the US’ ConocoPhillips.

Procurement of the rolling stock will start in early 2011 with testing and trial runs to begin the latter part of 2014.

Though the plans may be in place there is still the issue of demand, especially with the passenger aspect of the railway.

Border controls
Those involved in early feasibility studies have considered the idea of operating double-decker trains that will allow passengers to drive their car on board the train in, say, Abu Dhabi, travel through the GCC, and drive off in Kuwait. This would also enable people to avoid the time-consuming process of baggage and passport control and having to arrive at an airport two hours in advance, fundamental when travelling by air.

“[Competition with airlines] will be very difficult, so it needs added-value, which is to have your car on board,” says Glen Thorn, head of transportation at UK consultant Halcrow.

To have actual border restraints operating on the network would be too cumbersome and defeat the object of having an efficient, seamless transportation network through the GCC that will bypass the need for time-consuming passport and baggage checks. One possible solution would be to have on board immigration officials. This system act as the passport control method on the widely used European rail network InterRail.

Other potential hurdles that need to be overcome include effective coordination between the GCC’s six member states.

With a GCC-wide network in place, trade becomes an increasingly important issue. In the UAE, if the railway line stretches down to Salalah in Oman, then Salalah would flourish and become the biggest port in the Middle East region. This would also mean that any security threat in the Straits of Hormuz would no longer pose a threat to operations in the UAE.

Kuwait is pushing for the railway line to run to its Bubiyan port and then extended into Iraq. If this happens, then Bubiyan port will also become a strategic port as it will be the main hub serving Kuwait, Iran and Iraq. Naturally, each states hopes that its section of the regional railway ends up being the most strategic.

A technical decision has to be made on the gauge to be adopted on the network to ensure consistency. Saudi Arabia is driving for all
the GCC states to use the same gauge it currently uses.

Mohammed bin Obeid al-Mazroui, GCC assistant secretary-general for economic affairs, says the secretariat is discussing whether to form one authority to regulate the entire railway or to form committees in each member state to manage each section of the network. The aim is to ensure common standards across the network.

Officials also need to consider the issue of providing security on the line, especially one that involves the transportation of highly corrosive granulated sulphur. Abu Dhabi had been considering whether to transport the sulphur by rail or by an underground pipeline. But with the first phase of the UAE’s rail network involving a freight line between Shah and Ruwais, plans for the pipeline appear to have been scrapped.

When the entire UAE rail network is complete, Union Railway expects a fleet of more than 100 locomotives and 5,000 freight wagons – a significant boost to the country’s industrialisation plans.

“It’s very important,” says Thorn. “It’s about the GCC. They have been talking about it for a long time, but there has been nothing substantial, nothing tangible, nothing physical. This is something that will link them together. But it will be successful only if they make sure the border facilities are accommodated so it is seamless and efficient, [for example] nåo need to stop and change drivers as you enter a different country,” he adds.

High benchmark
While the emphasis of the first phase is firmly on freight, passenger services will follow at a later stage. While freight transportation shows higher returns, about 13 per cent, the idea of a high-speed passenger line that stops at Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Oman is highly attractive.

The ambition and scale of the project is impressive. However, in giving itself only three years to finish phase one, Abu Dhabi must fast-track its procurement process if it is to arrive at its destination on time.

If it does deliver phase one on time, it will have set the benchmark not just for the rest of the UAE railway, but for the planners of the regional networks in the other five GCC states.

R

zerozol

April 3rd, 2010, 03:27 PM

Josau

April 4th, 2010, 11:51 AM

^^

Good news, but...

It's very said to see they want "diesel locomotives" for this railway, and not electric ones... :(

Okey, it's still better than trucks, but for a completely new project the environmental aspect would be important, they should plan the trains with electric power, and i hope they will do it instead of the diesel stuff...
^^Wether they burn oil to make electricity for the railway or they use Diesel locomotives, it's the same. Actually pollution is less when directly using Diesel locomotives. Where I live in France, the electricity is nuclear. That's why the TGV is electric. Not very clean either, as we get all the atomic waste.

zerozol

April 4th, 2010, 06:49 PM

^^

Are you joking? :)
There's several ways to produce electricity, not only burning oil or other hydrocarbons... Instead of oil, gas is much more clean, if we are sticking to hydrocarbons. Gas fuelled powerplants are less polluting then oil driven ones, that's a fact.

But what about solar energy? Or wind? Both of them are plenty in the UAE... ;)

There's no point to say direct diesel trains are cleaner then electric ones.

skdubai

April 5th, 2010, 09:33 AM

similar discussion going on here....

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=1001493

zerozol

April 5th, 2010, 11:20 AM

^^

Oh wow, thanks! Interesting topic!

I cite some lines from that thread:

"it is more economical to reduce pollution at a huge factory rather than on every single trainset"

"Diesel is not bad per se. It's just a waste of energy on frequently used railway lines."

"Electric powered trains are much cheaper to operate. Not only doesn't have an EMU to carry its energy. It also returns part of its kinetic energy back into the power system when slowing down. Furthermore has an electric engine a much greater efficiency factor than a Diesel engine."

"Diesels are fine for lightly trafficked secondary lines that don't warrant the high infrastructure costs of electrification."

So, as this line will be a high capacity mainline, with freight and passenger services, i think it's obvious wich powering is cleaner/cheaper/more efficient... :)

Cheers!

must7

May 11th, 2010, 10:44 AM

Dubaiiscool:)

May 12th, 2010, 07:54 AM

http://gulfnews.com/polopoly_fs/the-rail-project-could-be-completed-in-seven-to-eight-years-1.625633!image/1904942096.gif_gen/derivatives/box_475/1904942096.gif

Dubai: Construction of the first phase of the UAE's 1,500-kilometre Union Railway has started in the southwestern region of the country, a senior official said.

It has also realigned its route network with the dense urban landscape of Dubai and other northeastern reaches of the project.

"We've already started some preparatory work," Richard Bowker, Union Railway's CEO, told reporters yesterday at the Middle East Rail 2010 conference.

He said the company is planning on bringing online new passenger trains soon after infrastructure is laid down that could travel 200 km/h in comparison to sister freight trains operating in the same corridors at speeds of around 120 km/h.

Early tests

Bowker said the Union Railway will seek expressions of interest in the next two months or perhaps even earlier if conditions allow. Bidding is expected to be highly competitive, he said.

Union Railway experts are "doing some geotechnical tests" for the initial leg of the Dh30-Dh40 billion ($11 billion) national railway project that will see more than 20,000 tonnes of granulated sulphur transported by freight train daily to the coast where it will be loaded aboard cargo ships bound for international destinations, he said.

Using "heavy haul, larger trains," as much as 7.5 million tonnes of the material will be moved every year, starting in 2013, said Bowker.

The project could be completed in seven to eight years. Up to 30 new bridges will be constructed as will camel and wadi crossings.

Extending the rail network into the dense urban landscape of Dubai is no easy task, said the former head of transport firm National Express Group of the UK.

Bowker arrived in the UAE in September 2009 to assume the helm not long after the government-owned Union Railway raised $1 billion (about Dh3.68 billion) in capital needed to build the first national rail network in the country.

Dubai alignment

"We've been working very carefully with our colleagues at the RTA (Roads and Transport Authority)," Bowker said.

"In the last few weeks we have made great steps in finalising the alignment in Dubai."

Mattar Al Tayer, CEO of the RTA also serves as vice-chairman of Union Railway, Bowker said, alongside Union Railway chairman Hussain Al Nowais.

http://gulfnews.com/business/general/uae-rail-project-work-begins-1.625627

AltinD

May 12th, 2010, 01:55 PM

rudeboy

May 13th, 2010, 01:45 PM

who is doing the construction of the railway? it says first phase has started!!

EmiratesAirline380

May 13th, 2010, 02:11 PM

^^ they haven't chosen the contractors yet. I've heard they may be choosing an American company.

zerozol

May 16th, 2010, 02:20 AM

A diesel locomotive is a locomotive that is powered by electric motors that get the electricity generated on board by the diesel powered generator. They're not powered by internal combustion engines ... have never been (at least in the last 4 decades).

Are you sure, Altin? :)

The reality is completely the contrary.

(You wrote "diesel locomotive". Diesel locomotives are equipped only with diesel enginges, strictly with internal combustion. They have a common diesel motor and it gives the traction as well, as a truck or bus has, it's just a bigger system.)

I suppose you wanted to write diesel-electric locomotives.

"In a Diesel-electric locomotive the Diesel engine drives an electrical generator whose output provides power to the traction motors."
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diesel-electric_locomotive#Diesel-electric)

Diesel engine: "A diesel engine (sometimes capitalized as Diesel engine) is an internal combustion engine"
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diesel_engine)

:)

As you can see above, the generators are not diesel ones, but electricals, of course. :)

Apart from the fact that they still do more emission directly, as a clearly electrical locomotive. See above.
Because in diesel-electrical locomotives there are normal diesel engines, you make direct pollution twice: once as you produce the diesel fuel from rude oil, and then when you burn it in locomotives. At purely electrical locomotives: you make pollution only at producing the electricity - but there are much more ways to produce "clean" electrical energy, as to produce "clean" petrols... :)

Cheers!

THE DUBAI GUYS

May 20th, 2010, 02:27 PM

Dubai to finalise link plan with UAE railway soon

The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) will finalise the detailed master plan for Dubai's alignment with the UAE railway network by the end of this month, according to a senior official who did not wish to be named.

He also told Emirates Business in an exclusive interview that the RTARTALoading... will start meetings with various developers to finalise the detailed master plan for the intersecting station requirements in terms of design and capacity of the four Metro lines in Dubai. "We already have the strategic master plan in place. On the second level, after getting the necessary approvals, we have started making a detailed master plan and investments in the project run into a few million dirhams. We are concentrating on certain areas to speed up the process of connectivity during our projects," he said.

"We are giving priority to finalise the details of Dubai's alignment with Abu Dhabi within this month with the Union Railways Company."

The Union Railways Company is the UAE Government-owned firm in charge of the estimated $11 billion (Dh40.4bn) UAE railway.

Meanwhile, the RTA will also look at the details of its existing Metro master plan.

"We will conduct a detailed study of the Red and Green lines in relation with the Purple and Blue lines since the latter will intersect at certain points. For instance, a current Red Line station can handle the capacity of the Red Line, but its demand will change when it intersects with the Purple Line," said the official. "We need to understand if we have to upgrade the size of a station or even redo it . This detailed master plan will be ready by the end of this year."

This can only be done in conjunction with the developers and that process is in the pipeline, he added.

"As the next step, we are going to meet the individual developers in the next one or two months again and get the details of their projects and future plans. It would have happened earlier, but the global crisis happened and certain developments have slowed down. Besides, we do not have all the information from the developer and that will affect our study. There is no use bringing a line to a project that has been delayed for an indefinite period and it is better to focus attention elsewhere," he said.

"The actual current details of most of the areas under development in Dubai are with the individual developers and not the government and so we do not know the exact details of their plans.

"Hence, we do not know if the future Metro alignments will go over a building or road or whether underground. This is the stage before giving every project to a consultant who will go into further details on alignment."

Another focal area is the Green Line extension to International City. "It is under study since International City 2 and Academic City are showing a high rate of development with about 25 per cent ready. The surrounding area of Dubai Silicon Oasis is also developing and so we are looking at the feasibility of the extension," he said.

By Sona Nambiar

© Emirates Business 24/7 2010

http://www.zawya.com/Story.cfm/sidZAWYA20100518042335/Dubai%20To%20Finalise%20Link%20Plan%20With%20UAE%20Railway%20Soon

R

killerk

May 20th, 2010, 04:30 PM

bizzybonita

May 21st, 2010, 12:41 AM

...Ajman & umm alqween !

Dubaiiscool:)

May 21st, 2010, 02:37 PM

zerozol

May 21st, 2010, 07:13 PM

^^
Huh? Almost the same news twice? :)

Dubaiiscool:)

May 22nd, 2010, 12:07 AM

Sorry I didn't see that. :lol:

THE DUBAI GUYS

June 3rd, 2010, 11:23 AM

ICBC prepared to provide financing for UAE Railway
by Bloomberg
on Tuesday, 01 June 2010

Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Ltd is prepared to provide financing, export credit and advisory services for a railway project in the UAE, said Yi Huiman, a bank executive vice president.

The world’s largest lender by market value will join China’s Ministry of Railways to provide “railroads plus finance” globally, Yi said at the Abu Dhabi and China Economic Forum in Shanghai today.

Union Railway is being expanded to cover all seven UAE sheikhdoms, including Dubai, Richard Bowker, chief executive officer, said on May 11.The railway company’s chief today said that they are in talks with many parties and no deals have been signed.

In an interview in Shanghai, Bowker said: “We’re receiving very competitive proposals. No one is nailed down yet. There is a huge amount of interest and excitement but certainly there are no deals.”

The first link between Ruwais, an oil port and industrial city on Abu Dhabi’s Arabian Gulf coast, to Habshan, where the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company has production and processing facilities, will start operations in 2013, Bowker said. An extension to Shah, about 266 kilometers (165 miles) from the coast, will follow a year later.

Abu Dhabi, capital of the UAE, and its companies borrowed about $14 billion last year for acquisitions and infrastructure development, Bloomberg data shows.

Beijing based ICBC won’t rule out acquisition opportunities in the region as business is expanding “very fast,” Yi told reporters. ICBC shares dropped 0.7 percent to HK$5.72 as of the 12:30 pm trading break in Hong Kong, taking this year’s decline to 11 percent.

http://www.arabianbusiness.com/589569-icbc-prepared-to-provide-financing-for-uae-railway

R

The-King

June 3rd, 2010, 05:29 PM

according to the article these will be the first two phases, they will only bring benefits for the oil and gas industry I suppose. Maybe they will transport some fruits and vegetables from the Liwa oasis to the coast but that will not be the main business.

http://img210.imageshack.us/img210/491/1904942096.gif
Red is Phase 1
Grey is Phase 2

btw. are there any plans for a public train system? Maybe connected to the Dubai Metro and Abu Dhabi Metro?

Trances

June 3rd, 2010, 05:36 PM

I thought this was a public transport system as well. Guess I should have read closer!

EmiratesAirline380

June 3rd, 2010, 08:11 PM

^^It is but the stops at Shah and Ruwais are for freight and not passengers.

noir-dresses

June 3rd, 2010, 09:16 PM

I heard rumors that UAE bought stocks in DB a while back, which leads me to believe part of the deal is to buy Siemens trains, or have the German's involved in the construction.

hakz2007

June 4th, 2010, 10:55 AM

ICBC prepared to provide financing for UAE Railway
Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Ltd is prepared to provide financing, export credit and advisory services for a railway project in the UAE, said Yi Huiman, a bank executive vice president.

The world’s largest lender by market value will join China’s Ministry of Railways to provide “railroads plus finance” globally, Yi said at the Abu Dhabi and China Economic Forum in Shanghai today.

Union Railway is being expanded to cover all seven UAE sheikhdoms, including Dubai, Richard Bowker, chief executive officer, said on May 11.

The railway company’s chief today said that they are in talks with many parties and no deals have been signed.http://www.arabianbusiness.com/589569-icbc-prepared-to-provide-financing-for-uae-railway

bizzybonita

June 4th, 2010, 12:46 PM

^^ Double article .. see post #97

Qatar Son 333

June 6th, 2010, 11:56 AM

Any ideas how Qatar Railways would connect to the Union Railway ?????

The only way would be to go through Saudi Arabia, but how many stops until the first stop in UAE ?
Green is the Metro, Blue is the passenger rail and Black is the Industrial/freight rail.
http://img291.imageshack.us/img291/3303/3qatarrailwaysystem.jpg (http://img291.imageshack.us/i/3qatarrailwaysystem.jpg/)

EmiratesAirline380

June 6th, 2010, 03:25 PM

^^ Wow, Qatar has quite a detailed plan, but why are their so many stations outside of Doha? The majority of the population lives there, is there demand in other parts?

Qatar Son 333

June 6th, 2010, 10:04 PM

^^ Wow, Qatar has quite a detailed plan, but why are their so many stations outside of Doha? The majority of the population lives there, is there demand in other parts?

well the map covers the entire railways system so you cant technically fit 90+ metro stations in one image, they illustrated the most important ones in the image and the ones outside Doha are the stops in other cities/towns etc. Btw i really don't wanna sway the thread away from the topic but I really want to see how the entire GCC railway system would look like. Qatar Railways (http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=554046) in case you want to find out more.

LoverOfDubai

June 7th, 2010, 05:43 AM

... I really want to see how the entire GCC railway system would look like. ...

Will there be a Khaleeji Railway? Or is it up to each country to develop their own rail network with the assumption that each country will build a rail line up to their borders with their neighbours?

Qatar Son 333

June 7th, 2010, 02:42 PM

must7

August 30th, 2010, 10:55 AM

^^ Well i remember that the occasional GCC meeting's kept saying that they planned or finished planning a connected GCC Railways, so far i have seen UAE extend its railway to the Saudi & Omani borders, while Qatar to Saudi Arabia and Bahrain (via the Friendship bridge) but i am not sure, i haven't seen a single unified masterplan yet.

It is true that Qatari is moving ahead on high speed specially on the Lusail LRT project but other infra structure project are slowing down every where in the Gulf.

THE DUBAI GUYS

September 6th, 2010, 09:17 AM

Abu Dhabi seeks bids for trains, cars for railway project

by Bloomberg on Monday, 06 September 2010

Abu Dhabi’s Union Railway Co, the project to link the UAE for the first time via cargo and passenger train, is seeking bids for diesel locomotives and freight wagons to service the line.

The state-owned company wants bids for the rail cars and engines by Oct. 3, according to a tender announcement published in daily The National. The company will provide pre- qualification documents for collection by potential bidders by Sept. 19.

Union Railway’s initial segment will link the Shah natural gas field in the desert to the southwest of Abu Dhabi city to oil and gas treatment facilities at Habshan, closer to the Emirate’s coast and to the port at Ruwais for shipments abroad.

Abu Dhabi National Oil Co., the state energy producer, plans to transport sulfur from the Shah gas field by rail to Habshan, where it has production and processing facilities.

The first line between Ruwais will start operating in 2013 with the extension to Shah, about 266 kilometers (165 miles) from the coast, following a year later, Union Railway Chief Executive Officer Richard Bowker said May 11.(Bloomberg)

http://www.arabianbusiness.com/596511-abu-dhabi-seeks-bids-for-trains-cars-for-union-railway-project-

R

Emarati2009

September 8th, 2010, 05:51 PM

Goooooood news

Parisian Girl

September 28th, 2010, 10:44 PM

Initial freight line to transport sulphur from Habshan to Ruwais; trains to help accelerate Western Region development

# By Himendra Mohan Kumar, Staff Reporter | Published: 00:00 September 29, 2010 | Gulf News

http://gulfnews.com/polopoly_fs/map-1.653641!image/2620662430.jpg_gen/derivatives/box_475/2620662430.jpg
A countrywide railway network in the UAE will be rolled out over the next seven to eight years. It is estimated that the proposed countrywide rail network will cost between Dh25 billion and Dh30 billion.

*Image Credit: Source: Statement released by the organizers of ‘GulfRail 2012’; Map: Guillermo Munro/©Gulf News

Abu Dhabi: The first section of the UAE railway, a freight line that will enable granulated sulphur to be transported from Habshan to Ruwais for export, will be opened in early 2013, the chief executive officer of Union Railway Richard Bowker said on Tuesday.

"The second part of the line from Shah to Habshan will follow at the end of 2014," Bowker told delegates at a MEED conference in Abu Dhabi.

"The pre-qualification for the main EPC [engineering, procurement and construction] package for the entire Shah to Ruwais route comprising civil, earthworks, structures, permanent way and systems has begun. We are now in the middle of it and this will be completed over the next few weeks. After the end of the pre-qualification round, we will create a short list and send a tender out," Bowker said.

"We will be able to announce in the early part of next year who has got various packages," said Bowker, adding that there were more than five packages to be awarded.

He said the Union Railway had completed geotechnical, topographic, aerial and ground surveys for the Shah to Ruwais route.

The freight line will support Abu Dhabi National Oil Company's (Adnoc) ongoing investment programme in the Shah and Habshan oil and gas fields and contribute to the development of the oil, natural gas and petrochemical industries in the country. Additionally, it will help accelerate the development of the Western Region in line with Abu Dhabi Vision 2030.

A countrywide railway network in the UAE will be rolled out over the next seven to eight years, Bowker has previously said. It's estimated that the proposed countrywide rail network will cost between Dh25 billion and Dh30 billion.

Network

The Union Railway will extend up to 1,500km across all seven emirates. The railway will connect the UAE to Saudi Arabia via Ghhwaifat city in the west and Oman via Al Ain in the east.

Connecting the Shah and Habshan fields with Ruwais will add nearly 300km to the originally planned 1,100km national railway network. The freight transportation target for Union Railway in the first phase of operations is 30 million metric tonnes.

The UAE railway network will be built to international standards.

The trains are expected to run at speeds of between 80km/h and 120km/h for freight transport and between 160km/h and 200km/h for passenger service. The Union Railway was established in 2009 under Federal Law Number 2.

Gulf News (http://gulfnews.com/business/general/first-phase-of-uae-railway-to-open-in-2013-1.689066)

Parisian Girl

October 8th, 2010, 11:10 PM

By Edward Attwood | Friday, 8 October 2010 12:30 PM

http://www.arabianbusiness.com/incoming/article350678.ece/BINARY/dubaibashing7_full.jpg
UAE RAIL: Advance Rail Group (ARG), will be bidding for the first phase in the UAE’s rail network. (Getty Images)

Advance Rail Group (ARG), the joint venture announced last week between Al Habtoor Leighton Group (HLG) and Australia’s John Holland, will be bidding for the first phase in the UAE’s rail network.

Overseen by Union Railway, the Shah-Habshan line will deliver granulated sulphur from the Shah gas field in the Empty Quarter to gas-processing and distribution facilities near Habshan.

The second phase will link Habshan to Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC)’s facility in Ruwais, on the coast.

David Plowman, HLG’s major projects director, told Arabian Business: “That’s now out for expressions of interest from contractors. ARG is leading a consortium for that bid, bringing to bear our skills in building rail in remote and harsh environments.”

He added: “Behind that [consortium] will be a range of lead consultants, which I can’t publically state at the moment. But there will be a tier-one international qualified consultant team, together with some supply chain managers.”

Union Railway is targeting the phase 1 contract award for Shah Habshan Ruwais by the end of this year. The 264km link is scheduled for completion in 2014.

Elsewhere, Plowman said that the JV would be looking at the Doha Metro system, as well as the emergence of the Oman Metro and freight lines.

Plowman added: “Outside that region, if we have the mandate over the next couple of months, we’ll look at Turkey and Jordan – where plans are quite advanced.”

ARG is sending a delegation to Jordan to discuss development of the rail network in that country this weekend.

The consortium is seeking to leverage experience in building rail in desert environments and urban metro projects in South East Asia and Australia as it seeks to win the billions on offer as the GCC develops its rail links.

In Australia, John Holland was part of a consortium that built the 1,420km Alice Springs-Darwin connection, which was completed in 2004.

The firm also has experience running the Melbourne metropolitan rail network, which has over 400km of track and employs 4,000 staff.

Arabian Business (http://www.arabianbusiness.com/new-jv-bid-on-first-phase-of-uae-rail-network-355707.html)

THE DUBAI GUYS

October 26th, 2010, 10:34 AM

Union Railways invites bids for first phase of rail plans

* United Arab Emirates: 2 hours, 23 minutes ago

The UAE's Union Railway has invited companies to register their interest for the first phase of its plans - a 265km length of rail in the Al Gharbia western region connecting the Shah and Habshan oil and gas fields with the port of Ruwais, The National has reported. Contracts are expected to be awarded next year, with operations starting in 2013.

http://www.ameinfo.com/246686.html

R

zerozol

November 28th, 2010, 03:48 PM

Union Railway appoints project management consultant and engineering services consultant

Union Railway on Sunday announced it has appointed a project management consultant (PMC) and a preliminary engineering (PE) services consultant for the UAE's national railway project.

* Staff Report
* Published: 15:34 November 28, 2010

Dubai: Union Railway on Sunday announced it has appointed a project management consultant (PMC) and a preliminary engineering (PE) services consultant for the UAE's national railway project.

The PMC contract has been awarded to Parsons-Systra, a joint venture between US-based Parsons and France's Systra, in the largest contract announcement for the project to date.

Parsons-Systra has will work as Union Railway's project manager to implement Stage 0 of the project, which comprises the Shah Habshan Ruwais railway and part of the next two phases - Stage 1 (the network in Abu Dhabi and Dubai) and Stage 2 (in the Northern Emirates).

The freight and passenger railway network will extend 1,500 kilometres across the UAE once completed. Part of Parsons-Systra's role as PMC will be to supervise the preliminary engineering work for Stages 1 and 2, the contract for which Union Railway also announced on Sunday.

The PE services consultancy role for the first two stages has been awarded to Parsons Brinckerhoff. The company's role will be to finalise the concept, prepare the preliminary design and tender the documents for the construction of Stage 1 and 2.

The announcement coincides with Union Railway CEO, Richard Bowker's, update on the progress of the railway at the Roadex-Railex Leaders in Rail conference held in Abu Dhabi on Sunday.

Bowker said, "The development of an integrated railway network signals a new era for the UAE's transport system. The appointment of a project management consultant at the same time as a preliminary engineering services consultant, marks a critical milestone in the progress of the project, as we now move from the concept stage to the actual implementation stage.

Jeffrey F. Squires, the President of Parsons MENA, from Parsons-Systra, added: "The Union Railway project is one of the most exciting transport projects currently underway in this region. We share with Union Railway a commitment to building an integrated transport network for the UAE and look forward to working on the project".

http://gulfnews.com/business/general/union-railway-appoints-project-management-consultant-and-engineering-services-consultant-1.719672

reda1306

December 3rd, 2010, 08:10 PM

bonjour tout le monde
j'ai pas trouvé de photos concernant les trains opérationnels a dubai??
est ce que y a un thread spécialement conçu pour ça?? merci

erbprinz87

December 3rd, 2010, 09:46 PM

^^ http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=390090&page=181

reda1306

December 3rd, 2010, 10:13 PM

^^ http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=390090&page=181
merci

mais vraiment votre pays est magnifique...les paysages sont splendides.....les villes sont propres,modernes et il n'y pas beaucoup de monde donc pas d'embouteillage ni de pollution...
bon courage

Parisian Girl

December 14th, 2010, 10:31 PM

By Staff | Published Tuesday, December 14, 2010

The UAE’s Union Railway Company, established by the Federal Decree No (2) in 2009, has begun preparation of technical, environmental, topographical, hydrological, engineering and traffic studies for construction and operation of the railway network linking all emirates, according 'Al Khaleej' newspaper.

The company plans to construct a 1,500-km long, high-speed passenger and cargo railway network linking all seven emirates at a cost of about Dh40 billion.

Emirates 24|7 (http://www.emirates247.com/news/region/union-railway-gears-up-for-1-500km-rail-network-2010-12-14-1.329319)

Parisian Girl

January 19th, 2011, 05:02 PM

http://www.arabiansupplychain.com/pictures/gallery/misc/Rail_UAE.jpg

by Edward Attwood on Jan 19, 2011

Less than two months after awarding major project management and engineering contracts to build the UAE’s railway network, Union Railway has decided to award the work elsewhere.

At the end of November, the firm handed out contracts to Parsons Brinkerhoff and a joint venture between the US-based Parsons Group and France’s Systra.

However, in an apparent u-turn, Arabian Business has learnt that Union Railway has now hired another contractor to carry out the same work.

http://www.arabiansupplychain.com/article-5488-abu-dhabis-union-railway-dumps-contractors/

Parisian Girl

January 23rd, 2011, 03:58 PM

by ASC Staff on Jan 23, 2011

Construction work on the UAE's national railway will start in the middle of the year after a contractor for the first part of the project (known as Phase 0) is selected

According to Union Railway, the project developer, tenders will be floated in March after a list of qualified bidders is drawn up.

Phase O covers 270km between Shah Habshan and Ruwais. The scope of the work includes earthworks, laying of track, track, bridges, communications and signaling, and building of a depot and project offices at Mirfa.

The next two phases of the project will cover the establishment of a network in Abu Dhabi and Dubai (Stage 1) and an extension to the Northern Emirates (Stage 2).

Richard Bowker, CEO of Union Railway, said: “The development of an integrated and modern railway network is critical to enhancing the current freight transport system and driving economic growth in the UAE.

"A large number of leading international companies have expressed interest in competing in the prequalification, thereby allowing us to select the best partner to undertake the first steps in constructing the network.”

Atkins is the project's preliminary engineering services consultant and a new project management consultant is currently being re-appointed.

http://www.arabiansupplychain.com/article-5497-union-railway-construction-to-start-by-mid-year/

Parisian Girl

March 1st, 2011, 10:48 PM

By Samia Badih, Staff Reporter | Published: 00:00 March 2, 2011

Abu Dhabi: Richard Bowker, Chief Executive Officer of Union Railway — the railway network project that will connect all seven emirates — said yesterday that there is "enormous pressure" for delivery at the Middle East Rail 2011 Conference taking place in Abu Dhabi this week.

The Union Railway which comprises a network of up to 1,500 km, will connect the UAE with Saudi Arabia via the Ghweifat border in the west and Oman via Al Ain in the east.

http://gulfnews.com/business/general/union-railway-under-pressure-for-delivery-1.770125

Parisian Girl

March 7th, 2011, 01:54 AM

By Reuters | Published Sunday, March 06, 2011

Union Railway, which plans to begin construction on the United Arab Emirates' rail network in mid-2011, said on Sunday it has issued tenders for rolling stock for the Western region railway.

The firm plans to complete an $11 billion, 1,500 km railway project across the UAE by 2017 that will also connect the UAE to Saudi Arabia and Oman.

Union Railway did not give the value of the rolling stock tender.

http://www.emirates247.com/news/emirates/union-railway-issues-tenders-2011-03-06-1.364533

Parisian Girl

March 23rd, 2011, 09:12 PM

Agencies | Published: 22:05 March 23, 2011

Dubai: Etihad Rail, the master developer and operator of the UAE’s first railway network - formerly known as Union Railway - unveiled its new corporate identity, which incorporates the colours of the UAE flag as a symbol of the national significance of the railway network.

http://gulfnews.com/business/general/union-railway-rebrands-to-etihad-rail-1.781908

Parisian Girl

March 25th, 2011, 12:47 AM

by ASC Staff on March 24, 2011

Etihad Rail, formerly 'Union Railway', will finish the design of phases 2 and 3 of the UAE rail system by the end of the year and start work on them in the second half of 2012.

It also confirmed that the first part of the route, from Habshan to Ruwais, will be completed in early 2013 and extended to Shah by 2014. The route will be used by ADNOC to transport granulated sulphur for export.

http://www.arabiansupplychain.com/article-5725-uae-railway-design-to-be-finalised-by-end-of-year/

THE DUBAI GUYS

March 28th, 2011, 09:32 AM

So...what does this mean? Will there be passenger rail or NOT? Or they were thinking about AD and Dubai having a SEPARARTE line from the national passenger rail and now that is off the table?

UAE cancels plans for Dubai, Abu Dhabi passenger rail link

* United Arab Emirates: Saturday, March 26 - 2011 at 13:15

Richard Bowker, chief executive of Etihad Rail, has said that plans for a dedicated passenger link between Abu Dhabi and Dubai have been cancelled, The National has reported. "We may come back to it," Bowker said. Right now "it's all about priorities, it's all about focus." The company, formerly called Union Railway, said it is set to award the first construction contract for a freight line in the UAE's Western Region in the next two months.

R

http://www.ameinfo.com/260263.html

Face81

March 28th, 2011, 10:12 AM

^^ Wow! That's not good news at all!! :(

Face81

March 29th, 2011, 01:20 PM

Looks like they have now backtracked on the decision......

Still on track

The UAE has not abandoned plans for a direct passenger rail link between Dubai and Abu Dhabi, a senior official at the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) said, as Dubai prepares to host a major global public transport forum.

Mohammed Obaid Al Mulla, an RTA board member and chairman of the organising committee for next month’s high-profile International Association for Public Transport (UITP) Congress, said yesterday that plans had not been derailed in favour of a network used purely for freight.

His remarks come after reports earlier this week quoted Richard Bowker, chief executive of Etihad Rail - the new name for the firm behind the pan-UAE rail project formerly known as the Union Railway - as saying a passenger route between the UAE’s two busiest centres had been suspended as priority shifted towards freight.

However, Al Mulla said tenders for the project have been issued, and that the plan for two separate lines is still on track.

“Within the UAE there will be two lines - one will be for passengers and the other will be for freight,” he said.

The backers of the Etihad Rail project have redesigned plans, which originally called for 1,500km of railway, to shrink that network to 1,200km on a project costing $11 billion.

First freight operations are expected to begin in 2013, with the entire UAE network completed in 2019, though it remains unclear when passenger trains would begin to operate.

This week Etihad Rail chairman Nasser Al Sowaidi, said an extensive rail network would help build on the UAE’s role as a “trading economy” to see it become “a logistics hub for businesses and industries in the region and beyond.”

Meanwhile, Dubai will next month welcome major figures from public transport networks around the globe, including transport ministers from countries ranging from Sweden to Senegal and the chief executives of the New York and Moscow metro networks to the UITP Congress.

Organisers announced the high-profile expo would see the launch of a prototype ‘Superbus’, which runs at 250km per hour on its own road.

Source (http://www.7days.ae/storydetails.php?id=103867&page=localnews&title=Still%20on%20track)

rags

April 12th, 2011, 07:00 PM

What they have cancelled is DIRECT passenger link. The combined freight + passenger link that takes a circuitous route via south of Abu Dhabi is on and is to be take up first.

rags

April 12th, 2011, 07:05 PM

Hope you could read this report on transportation links.

http://media.ft.com/cms/0c08e8b0-61a5-11e0-88f7-00144feab49a.pdf

noir-dresses

April 21st, 2011, 08:15 PM

http://tzv-gredelj.biz.hr/eng/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=62&Itemid=1172

I just finished watching the news here in Croatia, and they showed how this local Croatian company is in the running to supply passenger trains for the UAE national railroad. They said the company was just at a train trade show in Dubai a few days ago. They also said the UAE would want custom fit interiors to their liking, and more speed could be easily added if they wish. They also said the price is right. This company is not far from me if it ever ends up getting the deal, I can take pics for you guys, you never know.

They said Abu Dhabi is also looking at their trams.

One of my friends companies in Croatia got a big purchase order from the UAE armed forces to supply helmets for the military, so business is happening.

Gadiri

April 22nd, 2011, 07:56 PM

Etihad Rail on course to open in 2013

24 March 2011

UAE: The first freight trains on the emirates’ nascent rail network will start running in 2013, according to the Chairman of Etihad Rail Nasser Al Sowaidi.

Speaking at an event in Abu Dhabi on March 23 to mark the rebranding of the company previously known as Union Railway, Al Sowaidi confirmed that the initial line between Ruwais and Habshan would be ready for operation in ‘early 2013’, with the Habshan – Shah section to complete the 264 km Phase I ready ‘by the end of 2014’. Civil works contracts have already been awarded for the first phase, and tendering is now underway for electrical and mechanical systems including track and rolling stock.

Etihad Rail has adopted a new corporate image incorporating the colours of the national flag, ‘to symbolise the national significance of the railway’. Al Sowaidi said the development of a network of up to 1 200 km was ‘one of the most significant national projects in the development of the UAE’, which ‘signifies a new chapter of transport’, forming a key part of the country’s infrastructure and promoting integration between different modes.

Vice-Chairman Matter Al Tayer revealed that design work on the second and third phases would be finalised by the end of this year, allowing construction to get underway during the second half of 2012.

Phase 2 covers the remaining lines in the Abu Dhabi emirate plus a link to Dubai, connecting the region’s two largest cities as well as serving Mussaffah and the Khalifa and Jebel Ali ports. Phase 3 would add further routes in the northern emirates. There will be links to neighbouring countries as part of the emerging Gulf rail network, including Saudi Arabia at Ghweifat and Oman at Al Aïn.

Al Sowaidi said Etihad Rail had made ‘dramatic progress’ since its establishment in 2009, completing technical, commercial and financial studies to confirm the social benefits of the rail network and predict traffic flows for the next 20 to 30 years. The railway is expected to carry around 50 million tonnes of freight and 16 million passengers.

Etihad Rail is working with leading investment banks, and says its financing strategy is 'close to completion', and sophisticated studies have been undertaken to understand and manage rail operations in desert conditions. This had given the project ‘unstoppable momentum’, he believed

http://www.railwaygazette.com/nc/news/single-view/view/etihad-rail-on-course-to-open-in-2013.html

http://img845.imageshack.us/img845/5747/83213122.jpg (http://img845.imageshack.us/i/83213122.jpg/)
http://www.etihadrail.ae/railway-route/

GoDubai!

April 25th, 2011, 03:01 PM

^^ Very Abu Dhabi centric network. It's either a poor rendition of a map or there is no way to travel between cities in the Northern Emirates except by detouring far out into the desert and then doubling back.

Alrayyan

April 27th, 2011, 02:33 PM

^^ I was wondering about that aswell...

killerk

April 28th, 2011, 08:54 PM

EmiratesAirline380

April 29th, 2011, 12:24 AM

^^
Also, Liwa and Shah are where the sulphur fields are located, so they want trains going there to carry all the cargo. And the route to Al Ain is important, since it continues on to Oman, and Al Ain is the fourth biggest city in the UAE.

Julito-dubai

May 11th, 2011, 12:44 AM

http://www.etihadrail.ae/ already has a website

bizzybonita

May 11th, 2011, 07:40 AM

http://www.etihadrail.ae/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Etihad-Rail-Press-Release_Western-Region-Visit_Eng.pdf

Parisian Girl

May 17th, 2011, 02:34 AM

by CW Staff on May 16, 2011

A construction programme management contract for the UAE’s national railway has been awarded to the Aecom-Parsons JV by Etihad Rail.

The JV team will be responsible for programme management during the first phase of the Etihad Rail project and part of the two subsequent phases.

For Stage 1 of the Etihad Rail project’s Shah-Habshan-Ruwais route, Aecom will be responsible for the entire project implementation from the preliminary engineering to testing and commissioning, as well as a defect liability period once the project is complete.

Stage 2 comprises the remainder of the Abu Dhabi Emirate network and the connection to Jebel Ali Port. Stage 3 will involve the remainder of the Northern Emirates network.

Aecom will provide system setup, preliminary engineering, contract formation and awarding EPC (engineering, procurement and construction) or equivalent contracts.

http://www.constructionweekonline.com/article-12367-aecom-parsons-jv-wins-etihad-rail-contract/

Parisian Girl

July 2nd, 2011, 10:45 PM

By WAM | Published Saturday, July 02, 2011

Etihad Rail - the master developer and operator of the UAE's national railway network - announced today a contract award to PCM Strescon Overseas Ventures Limited (PCM Strescon) for the provision of railway sleepers.

The Indian-based company will be responsible for the design and manufacturing of railway sleepers as well as the production of the sleeper manufacturing facility for Phase One of the railway network - the 266km route linking Shah, Habshan and Ruwais in Abu Dhabi's Western Region.

The award of this contract marks a major milestone for Etihad Rail and comes ahead of the laying of the first tracks for the 1,200km network in Q4 of 2012.

For the Etihad Rail network, PCM Strescon will oversee and manage the design, manufacturing, maintenance and storage of the railway sleepers that will support the network's tracks that will carry the trains transporting granulated sulphur (in partnership with Abu Dhabi National Oil Company) for export at the port of Ruwais.

Etihad Rail's Dh40 billion railway project is forecast - over the next two decades - to grow to transport up to 50 million tonnes of freight and 16 million passengers per annum, connecting population centres and opening up channels for trade. Wam

http://www.emirates247.com/news/emirates/etihad-rail-awards-contract-for-sleepers-2011-07-02-1.405465

Blackraven

July 19th, 2011, 06:06 PM

Is this UAE railway a component of the upcoming Gulf Railway (aka GCC Railway system)?

Parisian Girl

July 31st, 2011, 11:43 PM

By Andy Sambidge | Sunday, 31 July 2011 6:02 PM

Etihad Rail, the master developer of the UAE's national rail project, on Sunday said it has selected a US firm to build freight locomotives to be used on the network.

Electro-Motive Diesel (EMD), one of the world's largest builders of diesel-electric locomotives and a unit of Caterpillar, will design and manufacture seven heavy haul freight locomotives for delivery by 2012.

A key milestone for the AED40bn project, the locomotives contract award is timed to support Etihad Rail's plan to have the first trains running in 2013.

Following a competitive tender process, Etihad Rail awarded the contract to the US-based company to design, manufacture, deliver, test and commission locomotives for stage 1 of the Etihad Rail network, running from Shah to Ruwais.

http://www.arabianbusiness.com/us-firm-picked-build-trains-for-uae-rail-network-413307.html

Parisian Girl

September 13th, 2011, 12:46 AM

http://cdn-wac.emirates247.com/polopoly_fs/1.418065.1315841222!/image/1403229243.jpg
The proposed Etihad Rail network (File)

By WAM | Published Monday, September 12, 2011

Etihad Rail, the master developer and operator of the UAE's national railway network, has appointed China South Locomotive and Rolling Stock Corporation Limited (CSR) to supply 240 covered wagons for the carriage of granulated sulphur in the Western Region of Abu Dhabi.

http://www.emirates247.com/business/economy-finance/etihad-rail-gives-wagons-contract-2011-09-12-1.418064

Parisian Girl

September 13th, 2011, 10:46 PM

Bloomberg | Published: 00:00 September 14, 2011

Abu Dhabi: Etihad Rail, which is building a Dh40 billion train line to link the UAE, will award the first construction contracts within two months, its chief executive officer said.

The company will pick from at least ten local and international bidders, CEO Richard Bowker said on Monday in an interview.

http://gulfnews.com/business/construction/first-rail-deals-to-be-awarded-in-two-months-1.866243

Face81

September 22nd, 2011, 11:16 AM

By Tamara Walid - Sep 22, 2011 12:01 AM GMT+0100 .

Dubai and Abu Dhabi, which boast the world’s tallest building, largest mall and biggest international airline, lack one key element of more basic infrastructure: a railway.

That’s about to change as the United Arab Emirates awards a construction contract for the first phase of a 1,200-kilometer (750-mile) freight line connecting its seven sheikdoms and their ports and factories, speeding transit times for cement, metals, oil, gas and chemicals and paving the way for container trains.

With the Gulf’s major settlements connected by sea for millennia, the region largely missed out on the coming of the railroad in the colonial era, while recent investment has focused on more modern technologies. That’s left bulk shipments reliant on slow sea journeys and the local transfer of goods from factories to ports confined to trucks using crowded roads.

“This is a strategic project, not just another mode of transport,” said Mohammed Obaid al-Mazrouie, the former assistant secretary general for economic affairs at the Gulf Cooperation Council, who has helped develop a plan to extend the line to almost 2,200 kilometers, stretching from the Indian Ocean to the borders of Iraq. “It’s vital for supporting trade and industry, connecting the region and creating jobs.”

Etihad Rail, established to build the 40 billion dirham ($11 billion) railway in the U.A.E, will pick a lead contractor from 10 local and international bidders in the next two months, Chief Executive Officer Richard Bowker said in an interview.

Gulf Connections
The first phase will extend for 266 kilometers and permit Abu Dhabi National Oil Co., or Adnoc, to transport 22,000 metric tons of granulated sulfur a day from inland sources in Shah and Habshan, southwest of Abu Dhabi, to the harbor at Ruwais for export. Construction is slated to start by the end of this year, with the first trains due to begin running in early 2013.

A second track will link Abu Dhabi and its new port and industrial zone of Khalifa with Dubai and the port of Jebel Ali, 80 kilometers to the north, before connecting with Saudi Arabia and Oman. Work will begin in the second-half next year. A third line, to be built at the same time, will run from Dubai to the five northern emirates, including Sharjah and Fujairah.

When the double-track network is completed, it will have capacity for 50 million tons of cargo a year, including twin- stack containers, on freight trains running at 120 kilometers an hour. It will also be able to handle 16 million passengers a year on 200-kmph commuter expresses.

Bulk Benefits
“Industries that need to move bulk materials will benefit most,” said Tim Risbridger, the Abu Dhabi-based head of Middle East transportation at construction consultant EC Harris Group. “In the future, smaller-scale industries will be able to use the system to move container freight and the like.”

The project stems from the U.A.E.’s policy of investing earnings from the world’s sixth-largest oil exports away from hydrocarbons and into developments such as Khalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi, or Kizad, two-thirds the size of Singapore.

Divided into clusters around aluminum, steel, engineered- metal products, petrochemicals and chemicals, pharmaceuticals and health-care equipment, food, trade and logistics, the site aims to contribute around 15 percent of Abu Dhabi’s non-oil GDP by 2030, with 80 percent of production going for export.

Linking the new development and its port to a rail network is “vital” in making the site more cost effective and freeing up capacity on the road network, Etihad Rail’s Bowker said.

‘Sound Logic’
Kizad’s initial focus is on attracting heavy industry, such Emirates Aluminium Co. and Borouge, a plastics maker which moves tens of thousands of containers on Abu Dhabi’s roads each year, Tony Douglas, CEO of Abu Dhabi Ports Co., said in an interview.

“We think there’s sound logic for that to move off the roads and onto rail then to the ports,” Douglas said.

Emirates Steel Industries PJSC has also signed a deal to use rail for transportation around the region from Abu Dhabi. Trains offer “greater efficiency, reliability and competitive advantage,” especially over long distances, Mubarak Al Khaili, its head of commercial strategy, said in an interview.

“The absence of a rail network means that our raw materials and finished goods are transported via road, causing significant constraints on transport volumes and distances,” he said.

European Connections
The ultimate aim is to extend the line through the six GCC countries of Oman, the U.A.E., Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Kuwait, tapping an economy worth $898 billion, with scope for connections to Europe and Russia. The plan dates to 2000 and could be completed by 2018, Bowker said, drawing on national projects worth $100 billion, according to EC Harris data.

Dubai Aluminium Co., the Middle East’s largest smelter, reckons it will reap most benefit when the railway spans the Gulf, since it exports 90 percent of production. While most exports go by sea to Europe, Asia and the U.S., the company serves Saudi Arabia, Oman, Lebanon and Jordan using trucks which are subject to border hold ups it says trains might avoid.

“We hope that, long term, when rail connects us to those areas we’ll overcome those problems,” spokesman Khaled Issa Abu Humaid said by telephone. “The GCC is a very important market.”

The railway will also serve the Dubai World Central logistics center and Al Maktoum airport, a hub that will be able to handle 12 million tons of cargo and 120 million passengers a year on completion, making it the world’s largest by capacity.

Bowker says he and his team are studying all models for construction of the railroad and recently visited Belgium and the Netherlands to examine intermodal facilities at ports there.

Just as important, he reckons, are the technical challenges ahead, such as the reliable operation of trains in temperatures that can exceed 50 degrees Celsius, and coping with a desert environment where wind-blown sand can cover tracks in minutes.

“There’s no institutional framework, no railway industry or anything,” he said. “You have to develop it all from scratch.”

To contact the reporter on this story: Tamara Walid in Abu Dhabi at twalid@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Chad Thomas at cthomas16@bloomberg.net

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-09-21/gulf-cargo-gap-spurs-dubai-abu-dhabi-rail-link-freight-markets.html

Parisian Girl

September 29th, 2011, 02:56 AM

by Andy Sambidge on Sep 28, 2011

Etihad Rail, the master developer of the UAE's national railway network, said on Wednesday it had inked an agreement with a potential customer to use the rail links to transport raw materials.

It said a memorandum of understanding had been signed with Arkan Building Materials Company, an integrated building materials manufacturer.

Under the deal, the company will assess the use of the Etihad Rail network to transport raw materials and distribute its finished products.

http://www.arabiansupplychain.com/article-6554-etihad-rail-eyes-construction-firm-for-rail-plan-deal/

cmajewsk

October 27th, 2011, 11:01 AM

Thursday, 27 October 2011 08:40

Winning consortium awarded AED 3.3 billion contract to complete the network’s 266km Western Region route by 2014

Etihad Rail – the master developer and operator of the UAE’s national railway network – has awarded the Civil and Track Works contract for the first stage of the network, that will link the Western Region cities of Habshan and Ruwais by 2013 and then Shah and Habshan by 2014. The contract was awarded to a consortium comprising Italy’s Saipem S.p.A, Tecnimont S.p.A and UAE-based Dodsal Engineering and Construction PTE. Limited.

Source (http://www.abudhabiweek.ae/city-latest/133-business/7042-etihad-rail-awards-civil-and-track-works-contract?campaign=wizemail&dm_i=GV4,L2IK,3VBIJ5,1PL46,1)

Serkal

October 30th, 2011, 01:57 PM

Will the trains run on electric power or deisel?

I Know

November 24th, 2011, 09:43 PM

Looks like things are going to start moving on this project soon

Dubai: Etihad Rail, the UAE's national rail network, will eventually link to the city metros and the wider GCC to boost connectivity across the region and help regional tourism and cross-border trade.

Emphasising the importance of developing the Etihad Rail network, Frost and Sullivan's Srinath Manda, programme manager for transportation and logistics practice for the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia, said that the project can definitely be considered a "landmark" in the UAE's transportation sector with an estimated cost of $40 billion (Dh146.8 billion).

Logistics transformation

"Once completed [in 2015], it is expected to transform logistics and transport not only in the UAE but also the wider GCC region," said Manda, adding that Etihad Rail is expected to provide a safe, efficient and sustainable transport network that will link all corners of the country and eventually link the UAE to other countries in the GCC with 1,200km of track.

http://gulfnews.com/business/economy/efficient-gulf-wide-rail-network-to-become-a-reality-1.937061

I Know

November 24th, 2011, 09:46 PM

Heres another article - good read

Infrastructure the key to success
http://gulfnews.com/business/economy/infrastructure-the-key-to-success-1.937060

DR.SHREJMAN

December 1st, 2011, 09:48 AM

we all know that this project is a part of a GCC Rail System Plan... since the info source in all other countries is weak...would it be possible to get update on this project?

I Know

January 25th, 2012, 02:17 PM

Etihad Rail finance approved

Etihad Rail’s bid to borrow Dh4.7 billion (US$1.28bn) to finance part of the construction of a UAE-wide rail network has been approved.

The bank loan will enable Etihad Rail to finance its Shah-Habshan-Al Ruwais 1,200km section of the first railway across all the seven emirates.

The network, due for completion in 2018, aims to support the country’s economic development and improve the investment potential of the UAE by offering an alternative transport network.

Etihad Rail, which is 70% owned by the government of Abu Dhabi and 30% by the federal government, expects to transport 50 million tonnes of cargo during the first phase.

The locomotives will run on diesel, but there will be provision for electrification if traffic demands it. Freight trains will run at speeds of 120kph and passenger trains at up to 200kph.

In October, Etihad Rail awarded the Dh3.3 billion civil and track works contract for the first stage of the railway network, that will link the western region cities of Habshan and Ruwais by 2013 and then Shah and Habshan by 2014.

The Etihad Rail network is poised to connect the emirates and link the UAE to Saudi Arabia in the west and to Oman in the east.

The project will be completed in three stages: phase I incorporates the Shah-Habshan-Ruwais route; phase 2 involves the construction of the remainder of the Abu Dhabi Emirate Network and a connection to Dubai, covering areas such as Mussaffah and the Khalifa and Jebel Ali ports.

The final phase will cover the rest of the network in Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain and Fujairah

http://www.ifw-net.com/freightpubs/ifw/index/etihad-rail-finance-approved/20017934330.htm

THE DUBAI GUYS

February 1st, 2012, 12:32 PM

UAE’s Etihad Rail Starts First Segment Work, Seeks New Clients

By Anthony DiPaola - Feb 1, 2012 2:09 PM GMT+0400

Etihad Rail, the state company building the first cargo train line in the United Arab Emirates, has begun construction on the first segment of the 40 billion- dirham ($11 billion) project.

The company is in talks with quarry owners about contracts to ship as much as 32 million metric tons of rock a year by 2030, Graeme Overall, the company’s director for business development, said at a conference in Dubai today. Etihad Rail aims to expand its network across the nation by that date.

Etihad Rail is seeking new customers, in addition to state- run Abu Dhabi National Oil Co., for which it will begin shipping 7 million tons of granulated sulfur a year in 2014, he said. The first link between Ruwais, an oil port and industrial city on Abu Dhabi’s Persian Gulf coast, and Habshan, where Adnoc has production and processing facilities, will start operation in 2013, Overall said. An extension to Shah, about 266 kilometers (165 miles) from the coast, will follow a year later.

The U.A.E. government last month authorized Etihad Rail to borrow 4.7 billion dirhams from banks and other financial companies, the official WAM news agency reported Jan. 22.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-02-01/uae-s-etihad-rail-starts-first-segment-work-seeks-new-clients.html

R

THE DUBAI GUYS

February 1st, 2012, 12:35 PM

this route map was in the KT and I am NOT sure of it has been posted before but here it is...i divided it up into two parts cuz the image was too big! but the map shows all of the stations...im guessing green is phase one, blue is phase 2 and red is phase 3? I thot there were just two phases.

http://i44.tinypic.com/f105na.jpg

http://i44.tinypic.com/2mm7ibo.jpg

and you can find the full map here...just scroll down a bit.

http://www.thebigprojectme.com/2011/07/03/etihad-rail-awards-sleeper-contract-to-indian-firm/

R

THE DUBAI GUYS

February 1st, 2012, 12:38 PM

oh and the al ain station got left out...but they have one too.

R

Face81

February 1st, 2012, 01:13 PM

^^ Great find!

Looks like Dubai South=DWC; Dubai East=Dubailand; Dubai Central=Meydan/MBR Gardens?

jsmith6

February 1st, 2012, 05:03 PM

this route map was in the KT and I am NOT sure of it has been posted before but here it is...i divided it up into two parts cuz the image was too big! but the map shows all of the stations...im guessing green is phase one, blue is phase 2 and red is phase 3? I thot there were just two phases.

and you can find the full map here...just scroll down a bit.

http://www.thebigprojectme.com/2011/07/03/etihad-rail-awards-sleeper-contract-to-indian-firm/

R

Thank you very much. Seems this is for both cargo and passengers? I would have expected a connection with Dubai Metro, or will there be more stations than indicated on the map?

Face81

February 1st, 2012, 06:17 PM

Thank you very much. Seems this is for both cargo and passengers? I would have expected a connection with Dubai Metro, or will there be more stations than indicated on the map?

Dubai Metro will no doubt be extended to connect up to these stations when the line opens to passengers...... This is still the VERY EARLY stages :)

Face81

March 14th, 2012, 12:01 PM

Sharjah Executive Council Tuesday discussed route for the GCC Railway Network through Sharjah

WAM Published: 21:55 March 13, 2012

Sharjah: The Sharjah Executive Council Tuesday discussed the route for the GCC Railway Network passing through Sharjah.

The council meeting, chaired by Shaikh Abdullah Bin Salem Bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah and Vice Chairman of the council, listened to a detailed explanation on the project given by Salah Butti Obaid, Director of the Sharjah Planning and Survey Department.

Obaid said that department will soon begin carrying out studies to assess the effect on areas in which the railway network will pass through. He reaffirmed the importance of the GCC Railway's project's complete integration through comprehensive transportation plans carried out in coordination with relevant specialised bodies.

The project aims to connect the UAE's vital ports, residential and industrial areas with one another, which will serve to enhance economic growth and social development in the country using a safe and fast method of transportation that is environment friendly and spans a distance of 1,200 km across the UAE. The first phase of the railway's commercial operations is expected to begin in 2014.

http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/uae/traffic-transport/gcc-railway-s-sharjah-route-discussed-1.994073

GoDubai!

March 15th, 2012, 05:43 AM

Thank you very much. Seems this is for both cargo and passengers? I would have expected a connection with Dubai Metro, or will there be more stations than indicated on the map?

The article talks about the Indian firm supplying "sleepers" for the train. And it talks about transporting sulphur, not people. So, what's a sleeper?

Face81

March 15th, 2012, 11:14 AM

^^ They are referring to railway sleepers. They are either made of wood or concrete and sleepers are what the actual track sits on :)

VCollaborator

March 16th, 2012, 03:08 AM

by Real Image Canada (http://vimeo.com/realimagecanada)

38496594

http://vimeo.com/38496594

Parisian Girl

April 5th, 2012, 08:28 PM

By Staff | Published Wednesday, April 04, 2012

A multi-billion dollar inter-emirate rail network project will link the country’s two main emirates of Dubai and Abu Dhabi in 2016 before it is extended to other parts in 2018, the semi official daily Alittihad said on Wednesday.

http://www.emirates247.com/news/emirates/rail-to-link-dubai-abu-dhabi-in-2016-2012-04-04-1.452240

THE DUBAI GUYS

May 3rd, 2012, 03:28 PM

Etihad Rail unveils livery

Trains will be operational by the end of 2013 in the Western Region to haul sulphur

By Shehab Al Makahleh, Staff Reporter
Published: 00:00 May 3, 2012

http://i50.tinypic.com/2iv0jdi.jpg

Abu Dhabi Etihad Rail, master developer and operator of the UAE railway network, unveiled on Wednesday the livery for its locomotives.

"The locomotives will be finished in a durable light grey paint scheme, relieved with broad red bands and the Etihad Rail logo situated near the middle of the body line," Etihad Rail said.

http://gulfnews.com/business/economy/etihad-rail-unveils-livery-1.1017364

R

Face81

May 8th, 2012, 04:49 PM

Interesting that JAFZ was chosen over DWC...... Still, good to see this project moving ahead unhindered :)

Etihad Rail, DP World Sign MoU

Etihad Rail – the master developer and operator of the UAE’s national railway network – announced today that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with DP World for the development of an intermodal rail terminal in Jebel Ali Port. This important agreement, which was signed by Chairman of Etihad Rail Nasser Al Suwaidi, and Chairman of DP World Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, represents a further significant step forward in the development of the rail network.

More: http://www.khaleejtimes.com/kt-article-display-1.asp?xfile=data/transport/2012/May/transport_May4.xml&section=transport

jsmith6

May 9th, 2012, 03:21 AM

Interesting that JAFZ was chosen over DWC...... Still, good to see this project moving ahead unhindered :)

Etihad Rail, DP World Sign MoU

Etihad Rail - the master developer and operator of the UAE's national railway network - announced today that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with DP World for the development of an intermodal rail terminal in Jebel Ali Port. This important agreement, which was signed by Chairman of Etihad Rail Nasser Al Suwaidi, and Chairman of DP World Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, represents a further significant step forward in the development of the rail network.

More: http://www.khaleejtimes.com/kt-article-display-1.asp?xfile=data/transport/2012/May/transport_May4.xml&section=transport

Not that surprising to me.
2011 tons of cargo for DWC: 90 thousand
2007 tons of cargo for Dubai ports (before consolidating Jebal Ali and Port Rashid): 130 million

http://www.dubaiairport.com/en/media-centre/facts-figures/Pages/factsheets-reports-statistics.aspx?id=11

http://www.container-transportation.com/largest-container-ports.html

And Jebal Ali continues to grow. I don't the projects for DWC, but I know it's a lot more expensive to ship via airplane than ship, so the lion's share of cargo will for the foreseeable future go by ship.

ikops

May 21st, 2012, 09:34 AM

http://www.emirates247.com/news/emirates/rail-to-link-dubai-abu-dhabi-in-2016-2012-04-04-1.452240

That would be nice. A great opportunity to make it a city-combi when travelling from abroad.

Parisian Girl

May 25th, 2012, 12:27 AM

by CW Staff on May 24, 2012

Thiess Services Middle East (TSME) has been appointed to supply recycled aggregate from construction and demolition wastes to the Al Jaber Group for the completion of phase one of the Etihad Railway Network in Abu Dhabi.

http://www.constructionweekonline.com/article-17029-etihad-rail-order-sees-thiess-facility-restart/

AltinD

June 17th, 2012, 09:55 PM

Word is that the big boss at the time, scrapped the proposed Sharjah station, even going on a tirade against them (Sharjah) while doing so. I wouldn't be surprised by it, considering how only now Sharjah is discussing the project.

THE DUBAI GUYS

July 19th, 2012, 10:23 AM

looks like dubai might end up with 5 union rail stations...

http://i47.tinypic.com/2iw3hav.jpg

http://i47.tinypic.com/25zjtq1.jpg

http://i45.tinypic.com/2ed5rvq.jpg

from here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMrwjzzmeXk&feature=plcp

R

Face81

July 19th, 2012, 11:14 AM

^^ Good find!

Berliner01

July 19th, 2012, 02:06 PM

But looks like on the main track its only two stations at the bypass road. One near to Maktoum Airport and one behind Arabien Ranches.

I Know

July 31st, 2012, 01:24 PM

Etihad Rail Tenders First Contracts for Stage Two of the UAE's Rail Network

Jul 29, 2012 - 03:09 -

WAM Abu Dhabi, 29th July 2012 (WAM): Etihad Rail - the master developer and operator of the UAE's national railway network - issued invitations to tender earlier this month for the first three contracts in the development of Stage Two of the rail network. The three invitations to tender, which were issued to all pre-qualified companies, are for contracts covering the design and build of new lines between Ruwais and Ghweifat (137km), Liwa Junction and Al Ain (190km), as well as for the railway integration and systems contract (covering signalling, communications and commissioning) for the Stage Two network.

The invitation to tender comes on the back of the workshop hosted by Etihad Rail which took place this past June, and at which applicants to the pre-qualification process were advised on the imminent issuance of the three packages, followed by the issuance of the remaining Stage Two tenders over the next few months.

Stage Two represents a significant component of the national rail network, in both scale and scope, as it will further connect industrial and urban areas, and will see the railway connect with the planned GCC network - linking with Saudi Arabia at Ghweifat and Oman at Al Ain. Construction of Stage Two is scheduled to begin early next year, following the award of tendered contracts.

The tendering of the first contracts for Stage Two follows the commencement earlier this year of construction works near Mirfa in the Western Region for Stage One of the network. Stage One of the network is being developed in partnership with the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), who will adopt rail as the main means for transporting granulated sulphur from Shah and Habshan to the port of Ruwais for export.

WAM/TF

http://www.wam.org.ae/servlet/Satellite?c=WamLocEnews&cid=1290000216028&p=1135099400124&pagename=WAM%2FWamLocEnews%2FW-T-LEN-FullNews