Etihad Rail - High Speed Rail: Phase 1: Abu Dhabi Civil Works & Stations Package
Etihad Rail is planning to undertake the construction of a new high-speed rail line connecting Abu Dhabi with Dubai in the UAE.
The 150-kilometre (km) first phase of the HSR will stretch from the Al-Zahiyah area in Abu Dhabi to Al-Jaddaf in Dubai.
The current package includes the Abu Dhabi Civil Work & Station package.
The US$2,533 million project includes the following:
Civil Work package:
1. Remaining early works
2. Temporary and permanent works
3. Construction of tunnels including MEP works
4. TSI compliance for emergency exits (number/distance of cross passages, shafts and ERP)
5. Installation of the tunnel ventilation system
6. Construction of roads
7. Installation of low voltage/medium voltage for MEP lighting systems
8. Installation of fire life safety systems
9. Construction of DLP four main stations (Key Metrics)
10. Construction of two underground stations (Al Zahiya and Abu Dhabi Airport)
11. Construction of one elevated station (Saadiyat)
12. Construction of one at-grade station (Yas)
13. Construction of Phase 1A: Al-Zahiyah to Yas Island (25.8km)
14. Construction of Phase 1B: Yas Island to the border of Abu Dhabi/Dubai (64.2km)
15. Construction of Phase 1D: Abu Dhabi airport delta junction and connection with Abu Dhabi airport station (9.2km)
Abu Dhabi Section:
1. Construction of at-grade section 65 km (in median 29 km, other than median 36 km)
2. Construction of tunnel 1.7 km (twin bores single track 1.7 km)
3. Cut and cover (1.4 km)
4. Construction of U through (1.1 km)
5. Construction of marine viaducts/cable stay 1.1 km
6. Construction of viaduct (typical spans and UBRâs) 12.5 km
7. Retaining walls 18.1 km
8. Construction of OBRâs and others 8 no.
Stations Package:
1. Construction of two underground stations at Al Zahiya, Abu Dhabi Airport
2. Construction of an elevated station at Saadiyat
3. Construction of an at-grade station at Yas
4. Structures including front and back underground connections to civils
5. Provisions for expandability at some stations
6. MEP works (lighting, power supply, vertical circulation, HVAC)
7. Installation of light cleaning and water tank refilling facilities for trains at the platform at the terminal station
8. Passive provision for PSDâs
9. Installation of fire life safety systems
10. Construction of associated facilities
Second Section
No Content
No Content
05 February 2026
A consortium of National Projects Construction (NPC), Trojan Tunnelling, Kalyon and China State Construction Engineering Corporation has been awarded the main contract. Jacobs is the designer for the NPC group. (Source: MEED)
30 January 2026
The project management consultancy (PMC) bids have been submitted for the project. (Source: MEED)
26 January 2026
The consortium comprising NPC, Trojan Tunnelling, Kalyon, and China State have emerged as the frontrunners for the project.
06 January 2026
The main contract is expected to be awarded by the last week of January 2026. (Source: MEED)
30 October 2025
The main contract bid has been submitted and the following companies are understood to have submitted the bids: JV of NPC, Trojan Tunnelling, Kalyon and China State, *JV of WeBuild and Tristar, *JV of L&T, China Harbour, Hilalco and Wade Adams, *China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation, and *JV of China Railway Engineering Corporation and WBG. (Source: MEED)
08 October 2025
The main contract bid submission deadline has been extended from October 15, 2025, to October 29, 2025. The following group formations are formed to bid for the project: NPC / Trojan Tunneling / Kalyon / China State (UAE/UAE/Turkiye/China), WeBuild / Tristar (Italy/UAE), L&T / China Harbour / Hilalco / Wade Adams (India/China/local/local), China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (China), and China Railway Engineering Corporation / WBG (China/local). Also, Jacobs is the designer for the NPC group. A joint venture of Systra and Aecom is the designer for the WeBuild group. Egis and Surbana Jurong are the designers for the L&T-led consortium. China Railway Eryuan Engineering Group is working with China Railway Engineering Corporation as its lead designer (Source: MEED)
17 July 2025
The main contract technical and commercial bid submission deadline has been extended to October 15, 2025. (Source: MEED)
04 June 2025
The technical bid submission deadline for the main contract tender is on August 12, 2025, and the deadline for submitting the commercial bids is September 1, 2025.
29 May 2025
The bid submission date has been extended to the first week of August 2025
20 April 2025
A consortium of Korea National Railway, Korea Railroad Corporation, Hyundai Rotem and Posco has been formed to bid for the project. (Source: MEED)
20 February 2025
The tunnel study works have commenced on the project. (Source: MEED)
18 January 2025
The main contract tender has been issued on January 10, 2025 and the bid submission deadline is on May 7, 2025. (Source: MEED)
07 January 2025
The tender for the design and build contract is expected to be issued by the end of the first quarter of 2025. (Source: MEED)
31 December 2024
Hyundai Engineering & Construction (South Korea), China Harbour Engineering Company (China), consortium of China Tiesiju Civil Engineering Group/ Western Bainoona Group/ China Railway International Group/China Railway Eryuan Engineering Group (China/local/China/China), Dogus Insaat Ve Ticaret (Turkiye), Gulermak (Turkiye), Cengiz Insaat Sanayi Ve Ticare (Turkiye), consortium of China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation/ China Railway 11th Bureau Group/ China Railway Construction Electrification Bureau/ China Railway First Survey & Design Institute (China), consortium of Larsen & Toubro, Hilal Bil Badi & Partners (India/local), consortium of National Projects & Construction/China State Construction Engineering/ Kalyon Insaat Sanayi Ve Ticaret/Trojan (local/China/Turkiye/local), consortium of Power Construction Corporation of China/ Shanghai Tunnel Engineering (China), Samsung C&T Corporation (South Korea), consortium of Vinci Construction/ Orascom Constructio/ Archirodon (France/Egypt/Greece), consortium of Webuild,/Tristar Engineering & Construction (Italy/local) have submitted the prequalification forms. (Source: MEED)
22 December 2024
Prequalification forms were submitted on November 21, 2024, and post-prequalification clarifications are ongoing. (Source: MEED)
10 November 2024
The client has extended the deadline for submission of prequalification forms from November 7, 2024 to the end of November 2024. (Source: MEED)
06 November 2024
The client has extended the deadline for submission of prequalification forms from October 31, 2024, to November 7, 2024. (Source: MEED)
13 October 2024
The client has extended the deadline for submission of prequalification forms from October 17, 2024, to October 31, 2024. (Source: MEED)
10 October 2024
The client has extended the deadline for submission of prequalification forms from October 10, 2024, to October 17, 2024.
22 September 2024
The client has extended the deadline for submission of prequalification forms to October 10, 2024. (Source: MEED)
11 September 2024
Systra has been appointed as the project management consultant. (Source: MEED)
10 September 2024
The client has extended the deadline for submission of prequalification forms to September 11, 2024.
09 September 2024
The main contract tender is expected to be issued by September 2024 with an award anticipated by May 2025. (Source: MEED)
27 August 2024
The contractors are forming joint ventures to bid for the design-build contract and the last date for submission of joint-venture confirmation forms was on August 28, 2024. (Source: MEED)
16 July 2024
The request for pre-qualification for the design-build contract was issued on July 10, 2024, and the submission deadline is on July 31, 2024. (Source: MEED)