Latest Global Tenders Online

Etihad Rail awards the locomotive contract

Etihad Rail and Progress Rail Locomotive have signed a contract for the supply of 38 EMD locomotives especially designed to withstand the high temperatures and humidity of the gulf region. Progress Rail will design, manufacture, test and ship the locomotives which will be equipped with a state-of-the-art air filtration system that filters sand from the air intake and pulse cleaning systems, ensuring effective and efficient operations while passing through desert areas. The locomotives feature powerful motors and will be supported by advanced emission reduction technology, reducing carbon emissions by 70-80%. The locomotives are designed to haul a 100-wagon train, which can replace 5,600 on-road truck trips per day. The agreement increases the fleet of Etihad Rail to 45 heavy 4,500 HP locomotives, which are among the most powerful locomotives in the region. By this locomotive contract Etihad Rail is expanding its fleet to 45 locomotives, as the company currently owns 7 locomotives. The new locomotives will increase the annual transport capacity to more than 60 million tonnes, from currently 7.2 million tonnes. “Our advanced locomotives fleet will serve the needs of the customers of this national strategic project, which will transform the transport industry in the country and the region,” Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Chairman of Etihad Rail, said. Since 2016, when transport services were launched, the number of truck trips was reduced by more than 1 million on the roads of Al Dhafrah, as Etihad Rail’s 7 locomotives transported up to 28 million tonnes of granulated sulphur from sources at Shah and Habshan to the processing and export point at Ruwais. The signing of the contract follows the awarding of all civil works contracts for Stage Two of the national railway network, the launch of construction works of Package A of Stage Two, and the award of a contract to build a series of freight facilities for the rail network as well as the systems and integration contract. Etihad Rail is committed to develop its railway network as is the main driver towards environmental sustainability and economic growth. United Arab Emirates

Bahrain metro tender to be launched in 2021

‘The tender on the first phase of Bahrain metro system is expected to be launched within the next year. According to the preliminary design, it will be similar to Dubai metro system. The prequalification process will take around six months,’ said Didar Dalkic, Adviser to the Bahrain Ministry of Transport, at the Middle East Rail held in Dubai, on 25-26 February 2020. The first phase of the metro system will consist of two lines with a total length of 29 km, served by 20 stations, of which two stations will offer interchange from one line to another. The lines, which will be operated by driverless trains, are expected to be operational in 2027. The first line, which will be served by 9 stations, would connect the Airport to Seef Mall through Airport Avenue and King Faisal Highway, the Avenues Mall, Bab Al Bahrain, and Bahrain City Center Mall. The second line will run from Juffair, a suburban neighborhood of Manama, to the educational area in Isa Town, crossing the Al Fateh Highway, diplomatic area, Bab Al Bahrain reaching to Al farooq Junction. The two lines will be interconnected at Bab al Bahrain and al Farooq Junction stations. The system capacity will be 43,000 passengers per hour. According to the Ministry of Transport, the new metro system will be formed by four lines with a total length of 109 km, expected to become operational until 2055. The metro system will offer friendly-environmental transport services to country’s main economic, administrative and educational centres. On the other hand, Bahrain is continuing the development of the railway project which will ensure transport connection to the GCC network. Called the King Hamad Causeway project, it will be linked to Saudi Arabia transport system through the Causeway, a road-rail connection spanning 50 km. The road-railway connection will be jointly realised with Saudi Arabia. King Fahd Causeway Authority, Saudi Arabia Ministry of Transport and Bahrain Ministry of Transport are responsible for the implementation of the project. ‘We are expecting that the tender will be launched within the next 18 months to 2 years. Under the PPP project, we expect to conclude construction works contract and the operational deal,’ Didar Dalkic explained. In October 2019, Saudi Arabia’s King Fahad Causeway Authority signed a consultancy contract with a consortium of KPMG, Bahrain

European funding for Croatia’s EMU procurement

Croatia has received EUR 119.3 million from the Cohesion Fund for the procurement of 21 new electric trains to modernise the country’s rolling stock and to improve connectivity and mobility with positive economic consequences. EUR 140.34 million is the total value of the project. Under the project, HŽ Passenger Transport will modernise its fleet by acquiring 11 suburban trains and 10 regional EMUs, providing passengers greater comfort and capacity as well as reduced travel time. The trains for regional transport will have at least 210 seats and total capacity of 400 passengers, including seating and standing places. Trains for urban transport will have at least 130 seats and total capacity of around 500 passengers. The new single-deck low-floor trains will have 3-4 doors on regional services and 6 to 8 doors on urban routes, which enables rapid entry and exit of passengers. The trains’ design will improve the accessibility of rail passenger rail services. To improve levels of comfort, both the passenger cars and the driver’s cab will be air conditioned. They will be able to run at speeds of 160 km/h. The steering and diagnostic systems are controlled by a microprocessor system that links the train subsystems with modern communication protocols. This makes it possible to link up to three trains into one. In addition, all units will be equipped with ERTMS level 2. A part of the new fleet will operate on the rail sections from Zapresic to Zabok and Dugo Selo to Krizevci, which are currently being modernised with the help of EU funds. The aim of this project is to improve the regional connectivity, to provide a better access to the labor market and services in major urban centers. In addition, the project is also aimed at ensuring a more efficient and competitive rail passenger transport, which will contribute to the sustainability of the transport system in Croatia. The train procurement project is part of country’s plan on the revitalization of railway transport. By 2030, EUR 3.5 billion will be invested in railway sector to increase its market share. A large part of this investment is expected to be covered by EU funds. Croatia (Hrvatska)

Tanzania to announce tender for Rwanda and Congo SGR connection

The Chief Spokesperson of Tanzanian Government, Hassan Abbasi, has recently announced that the Standard Gauge Railway project continues and soon will launch international tender procedure for the construction of Isaka – Mwanza line. The new railway connection will have a length of 249 km and it would start from Isaka dry port to the neighbouring countries of Rwanda and Congo. Currently, the feasibility studies for the standard line to Rwanda have already been undertaken and the two countries are seeking financing sources. Tanzania has a USD 14 billion strategy to build standard gauge railway lines across the country, serving main industrial areas, important cities and ports. The plans call for the construction of a SGR network linking Dar es Salaam, Mwanza, Kigoma, Katavi and neighbouring countries of Rwanda, Burundi, and DRC. The SGR network will be implemented within five phases covering 1,219 km long main track Contracts on the first two phases were signed and construction works are carried out. The consortium of Yapi Merkezi (Turkey) and Mota Engil Africa (Portugal) was awarded in 2017 a EUR 1.78 billion contract for the construction of Dar es Salaam – Morogoro SGR with a length of 300 km. The project is more than 60% completed. In July 2019, tests were launched on a 205-km section. The construction works for the second phase of the SGR were launched in March 2018. The project envisages a 442-railway line from Morogoro to Makutupora which is constructed by Yapi Merkezi. The following three phases envisage the construction of 673 km of standard gauge railway lines. They include the Makutupora –Tabora line (294 km), Tabora – Isaka (130 km) and Isaka – Mwanza (249 km). Tanzania