Etihad Rail has awarded the contracts for packages B and C of the federal railway’s stage 2 to a joint venture of China Railway Construction Corporation and local contracting firm Ghantoot Transport & General Contracting.

The total contract value for both packages is AED4.4bn ($1.2bn).

Package B runs for 216 kilometres while package C runs for 94km. The packages are part of the 605km line from Ghuweifat to the Port of Fujairah.

MEED understands Canada-based WSP is the design consultant for the team.

Etihad Rail previously indicated that package B comprised 200km of mainline plus a 40km line to Khalifa Port in Abu Dhabi, while package C involved approximately 78km of mainline plus a 20km branch line to Jebel Ali Port in Dubai.

Etihad Rail received bids on 16 June for the contract covering package D, which involves 98km of mainline plus a 29km line to Tawyeen in Sharjah and Fujairah.

The client awarded the first civil works package to a team comprising China State Construction Engineering Corporation and South Korea’s SK Engineering in March this year. The contract is worth AED1.5bn ($409m).

That contract is for the construction of a 139km rail line in the Al-Dhafra region between Ghuweifat and Ruwais.

US-based Jacobs Engineering was selected last year for the engineering design contract for stage 2 and future routes of the railway network. In May, Etihad Rail awarded French engineering consultancy Egis Group the project management consultancy (PMC) contract for the scheme.