Dubai Crown Prince and Chairman of the Executive Council of Dubai Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum met with Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, to review the progress for the upcoming Etihad Rail.
“During my meeting with my brother, Sheikh Theyab bin Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, I reviewed the progress of work in the national railway network .. Etihad Rail plays a major role in achieving the strategic vision of the UAE and its ambitious future goals in the field of transportation and freight, according to the highest international standards and specifications,” Sheikh Hamdan said via Twitter.
Etihad Rail, when operational, will travel at speeds of up to 200 kilometres per hour, potentially slashing travel between emirates by half.
The railway mega-project is set to link the UAE up with a state-of-the-art public transportation system, reaching Ghweifat on the border of Saudi Arabia in the West to the border of Oman in the East.
The rail, on completion, will be utilised initially to transport heavy goods, before carrying over millions of passengers by 2030 – thus, reducing travel time between cities.
The proposed national railway network will span 1,200 kilometres, and extend across the UAE from the border of Saudi Arabia to the border of Oman.
The entity was first established in June 2009, under Federal Law No. 2, with the mandate to manage the development, construction and operation of the UAE’s national freight and passenger railway network.
Stage One of the project became operational in 2016, and has been transporting up to “22,000 tonnes of granulated sulphur each day from Habshan and Shah to an export point in Ruwais on behalf of ADNOC,” according to the company website.
Stage One of the national railway network consists of two tracks, which extends up to 264 kilometres, with each train pulling up to 110 wagons.
Once completed, Etihad Rail will connect all the seven emirates of UAE, to the five neighbouring countries.
Stage Two, included the linking of UAE and Saudi Arabia from the Fujairah Port to Ghuwaifat, through Mussafah, Khalifa and Jebel Ali ports, with over 600 kilometres of additional track.
On October 12, Etihad Rail, completed the tracklaying works of the main line in Sharjah, which extends over 45 kilometres and Ras Al Khaimah, as part of the last package of Stage Two of the project.
“Connecting the Emirate to the main line recorded more than 11.7 million work hours in 25 months,” Etihad Rail said in a statement.
The line in Ras Al Khaimah, which extends over 5.7 km and connects the Emirate to the main line, recorded more than 1.3 million hours in 25 months, by around 350 workers and engineers.
Recently, Etihad Rail has unveiled a prototype of the passenger train, showcased on UAE’s 51st National Day.
“It is a privilege for Etihad Rail to serve the nation, and we were honored to be showcased in UAE’s National Day Celebrations. This national showcase provided the perfect opportunity to give the UAE public a glimpse of the future, unveiling our first prototype passenger train,” said in a tweet.
Follow us on
