Etihad Rail set for exponential growth in annual capacity

DEAL SIGNED TO TRIPLE FLEET WITH PLAN TO ACQUIRE 842 NEW WAGONS

Etihad Rail, the developer and operator of the UAE’s national railway, is tripling its fleet by announcing the award of a contract for the manufacture, supply and commissioning of 842 new wagons bringing its total fleet to more than 1,000 units to serve the whole network.

This expansion paves the way for the rail transport to become a principal platform for freight haulage in the UAE following the completion of Stage Two, as it connects the entire country.

The contract was awarded to CRRC Corporation Limited, a global leader in providing solutions for the sustainable development of the railway industry, during an online ceremony attended by Shaikh Theyab Bin Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Member of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince’s Court and Chairman of Etihad Rail, and Sun Yongcai, President of CRRC Corporation.

The contract signing was conducted by Shadi Malak, CEO of Etihad Rail, and Wang Hongwei, Vice-President of CRRC Yangtze Group, a subsidiary of CRRC Corporation Limited. Also present for the online event were senior officials and delegates from both companies.

Shaikh Theyab reviewed the overall construction work progress of Stage Two and witnessed the purchase approval of more than 800 additional wagons, increasing the rail’s annual transport capacity to reach 59 million tonnes.

Freight transport

Speaking on the announcement, Shaikh Theyab stated, “Etihad Rail is building a sustainable national railway network designed to transform the UAE’s freight transport and logistics mode of operation by modernising the haulage map for the end users, customers as well as operators.”

“The national railway network is designed to cater to the needs of customers and related industrial sectors, as well as existing multi-modal transport systems. Etihad Rail, the operator of a new, modern, scalable, and reliable mode of transport, will directly support the vision of the UAE’s wise leadership for economic growth and sustainable transportation,” he added.

Stage Two of the Etihad Rail network is moving forward rapidly, as all contracts for the construction, civil works, Freight Facilities centres and the Operations and Maintenance headquarters have been awarded, plans approved, and ground broken on the Stage

Two rail corridors.

The Stage Two of the network will extend from Ghuweifat to Fujairah and Khor Fakkan on the UAE’s east coast, with the existing Stage One line at Ruwais, effectively uniting the major industrial ports and trading centres of the country.