The UAE's rail transit map extends northward. After the trial operation of the Abu Dhabi Fujairah mainline with the participation of Chinese enterprises, Etihad Railway Company recently launched the bidding for the Ajman Hamriya passenger branch line DB. This is not only a key step in road network encryption, but also opens up new incremental space for local Chinese enterprises to deeply cultivate full chain collaboration.

Public bidding for branch projects

At the end of June 2026, Etihad Airways, the national railway operator in the United Arab Emirates, launched the tender for the integrated design and construction (DB) project of the Ajman Hamriya passenger branch line. The project covers civil construction, track laying, passenger station construction, and a complete set of supporting infrastructure projects. The deadline for this bidding is set for July 27, 2026. This branch line will be led from the existing national freight railway trunk line, connected to the Ajman Hamriya area, and integrated into the UAE national passenger railway network as a whole. This is also another key step in promoting the layout of passenger railways in the northern Emirate of the United Arab Emirates after the trial operation of the Abu Dhabi Fujairah passenger line, in which Chinese enterprises participate in construction and equipment supply.

Clear timing of the national road network

The Etihad National Passenger Railway is one of the largest infrastructure projects in the United Arab Emirates in recent years, connecting 11 key cities and areas across the country, and planning to set up 11 passenger stations. The first phase of the project, from Abu Dhabi to Fujairah, entered the initial trial operation stage on June 30th. According to the official construction and operation plan, Dubai Station and Zaide Station will be officially put into operation on September 30, 2026; On December 30th, the line service will be extended to Zaifula Station; The opening of Sharjah Station on March 30, 2027 marks the completion of the entire planned passenger transportation network.

In the early construction of the civil engineering section of the railway, many leading Chinese enterprises such as China Railway International, China State Construction Engineering Corporation, and China Electric Power Construction Corporation were deeply involved, and several core sections were led by Chinese investment; In terms of train equipment, CRRC Sifang provides 200 km/h high-speed diesel multiple units that are suitable for local high-temperature sand and dust environments; The supporting car air conditioning system will be supplied exclusively by Liebherr China.

Chinese enterprises welcome opportunities for cooperation

This tender for the Ajman passenger branch line is the first round of railway expansion projects launched by the UAE outside the main passenger network. Based on the construction and operation of mature freight railway corridors that will be fully operational by 2023, the project has a solid foundation for implementation. This branch line will promote the northward extension of the passenger transportation network, close to the areas of Umm Al Quwain and the northern Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah. After the project is implemented, it is expected to continue to expand northward, and subsequent derivative projects have high tracking value. Keywords:Engineering Construction,Construction News,Engineering Information

From civil construction, rail vehicle manufacturing to rail transit supporting equipment supply, Chinese enterprises have accumulated mature project experience in the entire industry chain of Etihad Railway. This round of new branch line bidding facilitates Chinese enterprises to continue their existing cooperation links and further expand their layout scale in the UAE rail transit market.Editor/Gong Ziwei