A joint venture between two US engineering companies has been awarded the Etihad Rail contract to manage the construction of the UAE's first rail network.
Aecom Technology Corporation and Parsons International will manage the construction of the Dh40 billion (US$10.89bn) project, which will span all seven emirates, with completion expected in 2017.
John Dionisio, the president and chief executive of Aecom, said the contract would be a "central element" of the UAE's transport infrastructure and would help to "drive economic growth".
Aecom will provide system set-up and preliminary engineering, and award contracts for engineering, procurement and construction.
The 1,200km track will be completed over three phases, with the first a 270km Shah-Habshan-Ruwais freight stretch.
Granulated sulphur for export will be transported on the line linking Shah's sour gasfield in the desert to Ruwais on the coast.
Construction on the first part of the national railway is expected to be completed in 2014.
Stage two will link Abu Dhabi and Jebel Ali, and at stage three the railway will be rolled out to the Northern Emirates.
The national railway is also eventually expected to provide freight and passenger services that will connect the UAE with Saudi Arabia via Ghweifatand Oman via Al Ain.
"Aecom is committed to creating a world-class, affordable railway through an effective partnership with our client and the combined experience of our transportation professionals," Mr Dionisio said.
Etihad Rail had planned a 1,500km rail network that included a commuter line between the UAE's two largest metropolitan areas, Abu Dhabi and Dubai, but this was put on hold this year, with the focus switched to industrial freight.
The network is designed to transport about 50 million tonnes of cargo and 16 million passengers, with Etihad Rail prioritising goods and heavy industrial products such as steel, concrete and petrochemicals.
