US-based Electro-Motive Diesel (EMD) has won a contract to design and manufacture seven heavy-haul freight locomotives for the first phase of Etihad Rail’s $11bn federal rail project.

The locomotives are scheduled to be delivered by 2012.

EMD is a leader in the construction of diesel-electric locomotives for all kinds of rail projects, including freight, industrial, passenger and mining. The company will design, manufacture, deliver, test and commission the locomotives.

“We are excited to be working with Electro-Motive Diesel as we are confident they will be able to provide stage 1 of our railway with locomotives designed and engineered to withstand the demanding climatic conditions of this region,” says Richard Bowker, chief executive officer of Etihad Rail.

“Etihad Rail seeks to offer faster, safer, more reliable and more environmentally sustainable services compared to alternative transport systems.”

Etihad Rail received 12 bids on 1 June for the civil engineering package for the first phase of the railway project (MEED 2:6:11).

In April, a US-based group of Aecom with Parsons International won the project management consultancy contract for the first phase.

Aecom-Parsons will also be involved in the supervision of the entire first phase of development, including testing and commissioning, as well as a defect liability period once the project is complete. Part of the role is to supervise the preliminary engineering work and contracts for stages one and two.

The UK’s Atkins will carry out preliminary engineering for the entire UAE railway. The first phase of the railway involves building a 265-kilometre track between the port of Ruwais and gas fields at Shah and Habshan. The first part this will involve building the line from Ruwais to Habshan, which will be able to transport 10,000 tonnes a day (t/d) of granulated sulphur. This will increase to 20,000 t/d when the line is completed to Shah.