Etihad Rail has partnered with engineering, project structuring and operations services firm Egis for the development of the United Arab Emirates’s national railway network.

As part of the partnership, Egis is required to offer project management consultancy services for the development of the Stages 2 and 3 of the Emirates railway network, which is part of the Gulf Cooperation Council rail network and supports the ongoing growth of conventional rail in the Middle East.

Stage 2 of the development includes the expansion of the existing 264km-long network with the addition of more than 600km by 2024, while the third stage will see the addition of a further 250km.

“Scheduled to be completed in 2024, the network will connect Saudi Arabia to the Emirates and Oman.”

Etihad Rail is responsible for developing and operating the Emirates railway network.

Egis will assist the project ownership team and will supervise different project contributors such as the engineering consultant responsible for the preliminary design and construction supervision, the future design-and-build contractors and other third parties.

The 1,000km rail network, which includes both freight and passenger lines, has around 40 railway facilities including logistics sites for freight, passenger stations, stabling and maintenance depots.

Scheduled to be completed in 2024, the network will connect Saudi Arabia to the Emirates and Oman.

In the Middle East, Egis is also offering contract services to the Qatar automatic metro and an autonomous transportation system in Dubai.