Runaway Train

Metro and LRT project
As highlighted above, the STMP originally proposed a major
heavy and light rail public transportation scheme which
would, when complete, involve:
• a metro system which includes a 130 km two-way track
with frequent stops servicing central Abu Dhabi, with
spur lines out to regional centres; and
• a LRT network which includes 340 km of two-way track
with stops every 500 metres and which would serve
the Central Business District of Abu Dhabi and extend
out to a future “master planned” Capital City and then
northwards to Al Raha Beach, Yas Island and Abu Dhabi
International Airport.
The proposed Abu Dhabi metro system and LRT system
had an estimated cost of USD7bn and was to be funded
by the Government of Abu Dhabi. The first phase of the
project was originally due to be operational by 2016/2017. It
was envisaged that by the time the total public transport
solution proposed in the STMP was delivered in 2030 the
system would serve around 800,000 passengers per day
and reduce the costs associated with congestion in the
Emirate by USD5.9bn per annum. 8
The Adapt Consortium (Parsons Brinckerhoff, Aecom and
Deutsche Bahn International) completed the feasibility
study for the metro system and was also awarded the
study and preliminary design contract in November 2012.
According to MENA Rail News, the design work is complete.
The US-based Fluor, along with the UK’s Arup, had been
appointed to act as the project manager for the Abu Dhabi
metro and LRT projects.
It was originally understood that the DMAT planned to split
construction work on the Abu Dhabi metro line into three
separate contracts. The first would cover the civil works for
the above-ground structures, which would be awarded as
design and build contracts based on FIDIC templates. The
second would be for the underground civil works, which
again would be awarded using a design and build contract,
again based on FIDIC templates. The third was to cover
the rail systems, the rolling stock and the operation and
maintenance for the line. That would be awarded using
a bespoke design, build, operate and maintain contract.
However, to date no invitations for these metro contracts
have come to market.
The DMAT did invite expressions of interest in May 2013 for
the construction contracts for the metro and LRT schemes.
The expression of interest stage closed in June 2013 and
according to MEED more than 400 companies registered an
interest. Companies such as Siemens, Samsung Engineering
and Bechtel were all understood to have responded. As a
follow up to the expression of interest, companies were
asked to submit pre-qualification documentation by
August of 2013 for the first phase of the metro and LRT
projects. This phase was to include:
• a 18 km metro line between Zayed Sports City and the
Mina Zayed/central business district area serving 17
stations, 13 of which would be elevated;
• two LRT lines that would run above ground consisting
of a 15 km Blue Line which would run from Marina Mall
to Reem Island and a 13 km Green Line which would run
from the Central Bus Station to Saadiyat Island; and
• the BRT line, which would be known as the Orange Line,
would be a 14 km loop connecting 25 stations on the
islands northern areas such as Khalidiya and Al-Maryah.
In 2014, Fluor International was asked by DMAT to
reconsider project packaging and phasing. The result
of this was the proposal for a further breakdown of the
project packaging in order to move the project to market.
To this end DMAT revised the first phase of the project to
include only the Blue Line for the LRT. In May 2015 firms
were invited to pre-qualify for this revised first phase with
submissions due in July 2015. However, since this date
there have n0t been any further updates on this project or
the plans for the delivery of the overall STMP. With public
transport still a major focus of infrastructure planning in
the Emirate the market should continue to monitor future
developments concerning this project closely, as the rising
oil price will likely trigger a return to market once the
increase balances out project costs.
Midfield Terminal Building (MTB)
Situated between the two runways at Abu Dhabi
International Airport, the MTB is set to be the biggest
architectural structure in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.
The construction of the AED10.8bn MTB by Ava TAV CCC
is approaching its final stages, with work on the facade
beginning in the summer of 2016 when the final supports
were removed from the 319m wide arches.
One aspect of the plan to cope with the expected
45,000,000 passengers that will travel into Abu Dhabi
International Airport by the end of the next decade (in 2015
the figure was 25,000,000) is the integration of the MTB
with a rail network.
In 2013, it was reported that this would involve links to
railways as well as the Abu Dhabi metro; however at
present the development of the MTB is outstripping the
development of the Abu Dhabi metro and LRT projects
and it may be a number of years before the link becomes
a reality. The progress of MTB, however, may be something
which eventually drives the rail agenda forward for
Abu Dhabi and the market should keep an eye on the
development and finalisation of the MTB for this reason.
14 Runaway train | January 2017