Etihad Rail’s freight trains connect four major ports across Emirates

Etihad Rail has vowed to keep the UAE on the move after announcing that its vast freight train network is now fully operational.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, opened the service in February.

Its rolling stock consists of 38 locomotives and more than 1,000 wagons.

It is a central part of the UAE’s national rail project, which will eventually connect the Emirates to the rest of the Gulf.

“We have now fully started freight train operations,” Etihad Rail tweeted.

The announcement was accompanied by video footage of the rail service in action.

“We offer comprehensive transportation solutions that meet all your business needs,” said Etihad Rail. “Thanks to our advanced fleet, we can transport all types of goods efficiently across the UAE.”

The freight route connects four major ports and seven logistics centres.

It includes charging stations in Ruwais, the Industrial City of Abu Dhabi, Khalifa Port, Dubai Industrial City, Jebel Ali Port, Al Ghail and Fujairah Port.

Together they provide a major local and regional distribution and logistics network, which includes customs warehouses and on-site cargo inspection services.

When complete, the rail network will also include passenger services and stretch about 1,200km across the country.

Etihad Rail said the project will contribute to an overall reduction in carbon dioxide emissions of 21 per cent by 2050 and will help to cut road transport emissions per capita by 40 per cent in the same time period.

An opening date for passenger lines is to be confirmed. Officials expect 36 million people a year to travel by train by the end of the decade.

A 400-seat Etihad Rail passenger train took centre stage during the UAE’s National Day live show in December.

Etihad Rail is set to boost growth in regional trade and promote economic integration while attracting more investment into key industries, Dubai bank Emirates NBD said last month.

The unified rail network will help to maintain the country’s attractiveness as a destination for investment and business, according to a study released by the bank’s researchers.

“Trade and freight transport services have been historically important in the development of the UAE and Dubai, in particular, with the city having long been a key entrepot for regional trade flows,” economist Daniel Richards wrote in the report.

The rail network will also include passenger services and stretch about 1,200km across the country