Etihad Rail, the developer and operator of the UAE National Rail Network, has announced the successful completion of the connection between the railway freight terminal at the Industrial City of Abu Dhabi (ICAD), the railway company announced on Friday.
ICAD is the largest inland freight railway terminal in the country, and the UAE National Rail Network.
Etihad Rail has completed tracklaying works, conducting successful tests on the new line, as part of “stage two.”
The ICAD railway freight terminal, which spans over 2.7 million square feet, will ensure customers have access to competitive benefits, freight services, and logistical support.
The terminal will process up to nine trains per day.
The new line, which extends from the borders of Saudi Arabia to the port of Fujairah, on the eastern coast, will pass through manufacturing hubs and urban centres.
The terminal, will be equipped to handle over 20 million tonnes of bulk, containerised, and general cargo annually.
“Connecting the railway freight terminal at ICAD with Etihad Rail’s main line ensures our readiness to start providing our clients with logistics solutions by linking Abu Dhabi with various industrial centres and import and export points,” Etihad Rail’s executive director of rail relations sector Mohammed Al Marzouqi said.
Al Marzouqi added the new connection inches closer “to achieving our goal of providing an integrated transport system that connects the industrial and manufacturing centres with freight terminals and ports across the emirates,” adding the location of the largest indoor terminal in the UAE “will drive value for all our customers.”
The 24-hour operational terminal, will act as a logistics hub for heavy industries enabling a seamless distribution of raw materials and machinery for manufacturers, in addition to facilitating better connections to vital trade infrastructure, such as ports, the statement said.
It will also offer customs services, which will make ICAD tenants more competitive.
“When fully operational, the ICAD railway freight terminal will foster a more efficient, cost-effective, and sustainable transportation capacity, and process over 15 million tonnes of loose raw materials, 1.5 tonnes of general cargo, and around 116,600 20-foot shipping containers annually,” the statement said.
Etihad rail has made trade agreements with companies in the UAE, such as Stevin Rock LLC, Western Bainoona Group, and Al Ghurair Iron & Steel LLC.
“Our network will have a positive impact on end users, as it will contribute to reducing trucks on roads and bring down their maintenance costs. It will further drive the sustainable development that we are witnessing across the UAE, by enabling a positive socioeconomic impact on industry, commerce, the environment, and more,” Al Marzouqi said.
Upon completion, stage two of the GCC’s railway network will integrate the nation’s ports, manufacturing hubs, and urban centres, the statement said.
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