Etihad Rail

Etihad Rail (Arabic: الاتحاد للقطارات‎), is the United Arab Emirates national railway network. It was established in June 2009 under Federal Law No. 2 to manage the development, construction and operation of the United Arab Emirates' national freight and passenger railway network. The railway will link the UAE's principal centres of industry, manufacturing, production, logistics, population and its major import and export points, sustainably connecting regions and integrating industries through rail-based transport.

Etihad Rail
Headquarters
Abu Dhabi
,
United Arab Emirates
Key people
Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (Chairman)
Mattar Al Tayer (Vice Chairman)
Shadi Malak (Chief Executive Officer)
ServicesRailways
Websitewww.etihadrail.ae
Etihad Rail network
Stage I
 Ruwais
future extension
to Saudi Arabia
Mirfa
Tarif
future extension
to Abu Dhabi
Liwa
Shah

Etihad Rail is being developed in line with the Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030 and the UAE Vision 2021, which in turn contributes to economic diversification through strategic initiatives set to bolster UAE socio-economic growth and diversification.

Commercial operations of Stage One commenced in 2016 having been delivered on time, within budget. The operator of Stage One is Etihad Rail DB, which is a joint venture between Etihad Rail and Deutsche Bahn, Europe's largest railway operator, which was set up in 2013.

Since the signing of finance agreements for Stage Two, Etihad Rail has finalised routes and reserved Etihad Rail's corridors and lands by signing agreements with the relevant authorities throughout the Emirates, awarded all of Stage Two packages and launched constructions work on these packages.

Network

Facts

Length: the network, when complete, will be approximately 1,200 km in length.

Connectivity: the network will connect the emirates and will link the UAE to KSA via Ghuweifat in the west running to Fujairah on the east coast, thereby forming an essential part of the global supply chain.

Energy: Diesel traction with the potential to electrify in the future.

Speed                  

  • Freight trains up to 120 km/h (75 mph)
  • Passenger trains up to 200 km/h (120 mph)

Specifications

  • Gauge: standard gauge, mainly double track
  • Traffic: Designed for mixed-use traffic
  • Signalling Systems: European signaling system (ETCS level 2).
  • Axle load: Heavy haul 32.5 tonnes axle loads and the loading gauge on the track accommodates double stack containers.

The network is being developed and implemented in stages:

Stage One: Shah - Habshan – Ruwais (Operational)

Etihad Rail has completed Stage One of the network, delivered on schedule and within budget. Stage One has been fully operational since 2016. The route spans 264 km (164 mi), transporting granulated sulphur from sources at Shah and Habshan to the processing and export point at Ruwais. It currently has the capacity to transport 22,000 tonnes of granulated sulphur each day.

The operator of Stage One is Etihad Rail DB, which is a joint venture between Etihad Rail and Deutsche Bahn, Europe's largest railway operator, which was set up in 2013. Etihad Rail DB is responsible for the operations and maintenance of Stage One of the railway network for Etihad Rail's primary customer, the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company.

Stage One utilises seven state-of-the-art locomotives from U.S.-based Electro-Motive Diesel, equipped with the ETCS Level 2 in-cab European signalling system and international standard safety features. In addition, it is operating with up to 110 wagons per run, fully equipped with extended safety features including ECPB brakes and derailment protection.

Stage Two: Ghuweifat – Fujairah (Under construction)

Stage Two will extend 605 kilometres from Ghuwaifat on the border with Saudi Arabia to Fujairah on the east coast.

  • Stage Two PMC & Engineering Contracts were awarded in 2018 to Egis Group and Jacobs Engineering Group respectively, for development and supervision of the next phase from Ghuwaifat in the west to Fujairah on the east coast.
  • Package A running for 139 kilometers from Ghuwaifat| to Ruwais (where the route links with Stage One of the network), will mark an important milestone in the development of the rail network as it becomes the first rail connection between the UAE and KSA. Contracts for the Design and Build of Package A were awarded to a joint venture between the China State Construction Engineering Corporation and South Korea's SK Engineering and Construction.
  • Packages B and C of the network, which connect Stage One to Abu Dhabi and Dubai, have been awarded to a joint venture between the China Railway Construction Corporation and the Ghantoot Transport & General Contracting Company. Package B will link with Stage One at Tarif and run for 216 km to Saih Shuaib and Package C from Saih Shuaib to Sharjah runs for 94 km with a spur connection to Jebel Ali.
  • Package D, running for 145 km, will connect to the port of Fujairah in continuation of Stage Two Package C from the Dubai/Sharjah Border, passing through the Emirates of Sharjah, Fujairah and Ras al-Khaimah. The contract for Package D has been awarded to a joint venture of the China Railway Construction Corporation and National Projects and Construction, NPC. Package D includes the construction of 35 bridges to span road systems, valleys and wadis, 32 underpasses and 15 tunnels, totalling 16 kilometers, through the Al Hajar Mountains using blast-tunneling technology.
  •  A Systems and Integration contract has been awarded to Hitachi Rail STS for the supply of European Rail Traffic Management System technology and related equipment across the network.
  • A Freight Facilities contract was awarded to a joint venture of Larsen & Toubro and Power China International, to construct freight facilities for the railway network. Under the terms of the contract, the two companies will be jointly responsible for the surveying, design, construction, equipment installation, testing and pre-commissioning of each facility. Etihad Rail is building a series of freight facilities in Ruwais, Industrial City of Abu Dhabi (ICAD), Khalifa Port, Dubai Industrial City, Jebel Ali Port, Al Ghayl & Fujairah Port capable of undertaking all loading and unloading operations, in addition to providing container storage and maintenance.
  • Locomotive fleet expansion to 45 locomotives. Progress Rail will design, manufacture, test, and ship 38 EMD locomotives specially designed to withstand the high temperatures and humidity of the gulf region. Additionally, the locomotives will be equipped with a state-of-the-art air filtration system that filters sand from the air intake and pulse cleaning systems, ensuring effective and efficient operations.
  • O&M facility in Al Faya contract has been awarded to a joint venture led by Vinci Construction France. The facility will be the largest and the most important facility on the network; it will be responsible for warehousing, installations, operations, and the maintenance of locomotives and wagons.

Benefits
  • Strategic Benefits: The railway will provide a secure transportation link between the UAE and its GCC neighbors and beyond. Pioneering and innovative in the UAE, the modern, safe and cost efficient national railway will improve freight transport across the region, placing the UAE at the center of freight movement and taking advantage of its unique geographical and economic position as a global logistics hub.
  • Environmental Benefits: One fully laden freight train trip on Stage One can replace approximately 300 trucks on the road, thus reducing congestion and improving safety. A fully loaded train produces up to 70-80% less CO2 emissions than trucks moving the same tonnage. Rail transport lowers the cost of trade and improves the market position of existing industries, promoting their growth and leading to economic diversification through the creation of a new transport infrastructure and its related ecosystem.
    • Based on traffic volume forecasts, the Etihad Rail network will reduce greenhouse gases by more than 2.2 million tonnes annually: the equivalent of taking up to 375,000 vehicles off the roads.
    • The cost savings made by businesses that transfer their freight via rail will enable them to be more commercially successful and therefore contribute more to economic growth.
    • Estimated total benefits of emissions savings, accounting for truck freight and passengers moving from road to rail, is approximately AED24Bn over the next 50 years.
    • Lower trips per road lane will yield less frequent need for road maintenance, generating projected savings of AED8Bn over the next 50 years.
  • Social Benefits: The railway will connect rural areas to cities, improving connectivity and generating wider economic benefits for these areas.
    • Value of time saved (due to reduced road delays) by car, bus, taxi and freight users who will shift to the rail network, accounting for station to station road and rail time and distance travelled, is equal to approximately AED11Bn over the next 50 years.
    • Huge reduction in rates of accidents as rail use will lead to a lower number of kilometers travelled on the roads and hence fewer road accidents per year, saving AED22Bn over the next 50 years.
  • Economic Benefits: Cargo, whether intermodal, bulk or break-bulk, can often be carried on rail at rates which are more competitive than other means of transport. Rail is part of the overall infrastructure development program in the UAE and will stimulate economic growth in the UAE and support the diversification of the economy.
    • The increase in land value of areas around rail stations will lead to revenue from leasing of potential residential, commercial and industrial developments, with a potential enhanced land value of AED23Bn over the next 50 years.
    • Tourism benefits will include an increase in the average length of stay, making travel within the region faster, safer and more convenient for tourists, and granting them faster accessibility to tourist landmarks, generating an estimated AED24Bn over the next 50 years.

See also

References
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