State-of-the-art fleet, Acquisition will enhance railway freight services across the UAE
Etihad Rail, the developer and operator of the UAE National Rail Network, recently achieved a new milestone in the development of the National Rail Network, with the arrival of first batches of the company’s new and advanced rolling stock fleet.
The locomotives and wagons, which reached the UAE via Zayed and Al Musaffah Ports, will operate across the whole network upon its completion.
The achievement was announced during an event, which was organised by Etihad Rail at Al Mirfa city in the Al Dhafrah region in Abu Dhabi, to unveil the new fleet of locomotives and wagons. The event was attended by Shadi Malak, CEO, Etihad Rail, alongside Marty Haycraft, President and CEO, Progress Rail and Henry Pang, Executive Director, MENA, CRRC, in addition to a number of senior officials from all sides.
UAE Railways Programme
The achievement comes in line with Etihad Rail’s efforts to achieve the objectives of the UAE Railways Programme, the largest land transport system of its kind in the UAE, which was launched as part of the Projects of the 50, the largest set of national strategic projects that seek to set up a new phase of development across UAE for the next fifty years.
The UAE Railways Programme aims to set a new roadmap for transporting goods and passengers via train across the country, which will contribute to developing a sustainable land transport system that connects the cities of the UAE via railways.
The first batches have arrived in the UAE through Zayed and Al Musaffah Ports, which comes as part of Etihad Rail’s commitment to expanding its fleet of trains to serve the entire network. The Company will increase its fleet of heavy freight locomotives to 45 heavy transport locomotives, which is equivalent to six times of its current fleet. Progress Rail, a Caterpillar company of America and one of the world’s largest manufacturers of diesel and electric locomotives, will handle the manufacturing and supply of the new EMD® SD70 electro-motive diesel locomotives.
New fleet
“The arrival of the new fleet of locomotives and wagons to the UAE on schedule reflects the level of the achievements that the Etihad Rail project is realising in the development of the UAE National Railway Network,” asserted Mohammed Al Marzouqi, Executive Director, Rail Relations, Etihad Rail.
“Our diesel-electric EMD® SD70 locomotives meet the highest global standards,” notedMarty Haycraft, Progress Rail President and Chief Executive Officer. “Etihad Rail’s new fleet is a great example of what our customers have come to expect from our advanced locomotives, which are designed to perform in extreme conditions,” he added.
“CRRC is pleased to witness the successful delivery of the multi-function wagons, which will contribute to reducing carbon emissions and provide safe, sustainable, and efficient services,” commented Ben Quak, General Manager, CRRC UAE.
Etihad Rail fleet that meets the highest international standards
State-of-the-art fleet, Etihad Rail’s new fleet was designed specifically to withstand the geographic, climate conditions, and the high temperatures and humidity levels in the GCC region, ensuring the highest levels of performance, efficiency, and sustainability.
The state-of-the-art fleet is set to elevate the transport and logistical services system in the UAE, solidifying the country’s position in the logistics sector on a regional and international level. It will increase the capacity of the UAE National Rail Network to more than 60 million tonnes of goods per year. Etihad Rail’s new fleet will also contribute towards reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 70%-80%.
Advanced locomotives
Each of the state-of-the-art fleet new diesel-and-electricity-operated Electro-Motive Diesel EMD® SD70 locomotives, provides 4,600 BHP, which makes it one of the most powerful engines in the Middle East.
The locomotives are equipped with the latest filtering innovations such as the pulse sand filtering system, which ensures that the train operates at high effectiveness and efficiency when passing through desert regions. They also incorporate and comply the latest technologies and standards for reducing emissions.
The locomotives are equipped with advanced on-board technologies and systems like the European Train Control System (ETCS) Level 2, the most advanced signalling system of its kind, to ensure safety, security, and reliability, in addition to efficiency and sustainability.
Each locomotive can pull 100 wagons, which is equivalent to the capacity of 300 trucks. The volume of goods transported by these trains is equivalent to 5,600 daily truck trips.
Multi-function wagons
The wagons are equipped with the latest braking, signalling, control, communication, and safety systems. The variety of wagons will enable a higher flexibility and capability in transporting goods of various sizes, including petrochemicals, raw steel and its products, limestone, cement, building materials, industrial and household waste, aluminum, food, and assorted goods.
This helps reduce transportation costs by 30% and increase logistic efficiency, which drives economic success for clients and users of the network. In addition, railway transport will reduce road congestion caused by trucks, which are currently the only shipping method.
The new locomotives and wagons will be stored at Etihad Rail’s facilities in Al Mirfa until the completion of construction works on the UAE National Railway Network. The development of the network is proceeding at a rapid pace and marking a number of achievements, the most recent being finishing 75% of Stage Two of the project within 28 months.
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