Gulf Construction Online - UAE railway moves forward with PMC deal

UAE Focus

UAE railway moves forward with PMC deal

01 June 2018

Egis, an international group offering engineering, project structuring and operations services, has been awarded a project management consultancy (PMC) contract for the development of the UAE railway network (Stages Two and Three).

As part of the deal, the French construction major will assist Etihad Rail, which has been tasked with developing and operating the network.

The existing and currently operated network of 264 km will be expanded between now and 2024 by over 600 km in Stage Two and 250 km in Stage Three, said Egis.

Following its experience acquired in Stage One, Etihad Rail aims to bolster its team with the skills of Egis, which is renowned for its experience in project management and technical expertise in all types of railway project (passenger and freight, conventional and high speed).

Under this agreement, Egis will work in close co-operation with Etihad Rail, with its group joining the project ownership team to oversee and supervise the different players in the project including the engineering consultant responsible for preliminary design and construction supervision, the future design-and-build contractors, and third parties.

Egis is 75 per cent owned by the French “Caisse des Dépôts” and the rest by Partner executives (Iosis Partenaires).

For the UAE, delivering a project of this scale will demand extensive expertise and co-ordination. The network is a combination of freight and passenger lines which extends over 1,000 km and has nearly 40 railway facilities (logistics sites for freight, passenger stations, stabling and maintenance depots).

The UAE network is part of the GCC rail project and will play a key role in the ongoing growth of conventional rail in the Middle East. On completion in 2024, the network will link Saudi Arabia to the UAE and Oman.

Egis said this is its third major guided transportation project in the region. The other two projects are the Doha Metro (Red Line extension) and an autonomous transportation system in Dubai (Bluewaters Ground Rapid Transit System).