Etihad Rail awards contract for sleepers

Etihad Rail - the master developer and operator of the UAE's national railway network - announced today a contract award to PCM Strescon Overseas Ventures Limited (PCM Strescon) for the provision of railway sleepers.

The Indian-based company will be responsible for the design and manufacturing of railway sleepers as well as the production of the sleeper manufacturing facility for Phase One of the railway network - the 266km route linking Shah, Habshan and Ruwais in Abu Dhabi's Western Region.

The award of this contract marks a major milestone for Etihad Rail and comes ahead of the laying of the first tracks for the 1,200km network in Q4 of 2012.

For the Etihad Rail network, PCM Strescon will oversee and manage the design, manufacturing, maintenance and storage of the railway sleepers that will support the network's tracks that will carry the trains transporting granulated sulphur (in partnership with Abu Dhabi National Oil Company) for export at the port of Ruwais.

Etihad Rail's Dh40 billion railway project is forecast - over the next two decades - to grow to transport up to 50 million tonnes of freight and 16 million passengers per annum, connecting population centres and opening up channels for trade. Wam

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