National Quarries has signed an agreement with the UAE’s federal railway authority Etihad Rail for the distribution of its products across the country.

Part of the UAE-based Al-Jazeerah Investment Company, National Quarries operates across the GCC, specialising in building and road construction products. It is expected that the volume to products National Quarries will transport by 2020 by Etihad Rail will reach 2,000,000 tonnes.

The agreement is the latest in a long line of regional partnerships that Etihad Rail has entered into over the past 18 months.

Earlier in 2014, Al-Jaber Crushers & Quarries signed a similar agreement with Etihad Rail for the distribution of its products across the country. Al-Jaber Crushers & Quarries is part of the local Al-Jaber Group.

Etihad Rail also signed another similar agreement in early July with Tarmac Middle East for the distribution of the aggregates and asphalt supplies across the UAE.

Etihad Rail has been planning to award the phase-two contracts for the railway for most of 2014. Phase two will connect the major ports and cities in the UAE. The 628-kilometre rail line will link Ruwais in Abu Dhabi to Ghweifat on the country’s border with Saudi Arabia.

The first section of phase one, linking gasfields of Habshan to Ruwais port, is due to be completed and operational by the end of 2014. Civil and tracks work for phase 1, worth $898m, is being developed by a consortium led by Italy’s Saipem. The other members of the consortium include Tecnimont, also Italian, and the UAE’s Dodsal Engineering & Construction.

Etihad Rail is also planning to tender phase three, which will cover the track connecting the UAE network to the northern emirates.