Construction on Stage Two of the UAE National Rail Network progressing well

Credit: Etihad Rail

Construction work on Stage Two of the UAE National Rail Network, which is being developed by Etihad Rail, is continuing to progress nicely. Suhail bin Mohammed Faraj Faris Al Mazrouei, Minister of Energy and Infrastructure, boarded an inspection train, designated for site inspection and supervision, to review the various constructions sites in Abu Dhabi.

Al Mazrouei, accompanied by Hassan Mohamed Juma Al Mansouri, Undersecretary for Infrastructure and Transport Affairs, inspected the main O&M facility, which is the nerve of the network responsible for controlling the operations of the whole network. Al Mazrouei was also briefed on the train operating systems, and toured the centre and its facilities, which are seeing exceptional progress in construction works and are being developed according to the highest international standards and criteria, and as per the company’s set timeline.

Stage One achievements and the progress of Stage Two of the project were discussed, including the recent 256-km railway link between Abu Dhabi and Dubai, bringing the company one step closer towards connecting the rest of the emirates, and aligning with the UAE Railways Programme. Launched recently by the UAE government as part of the Projects of the 50 with an estimated investment value of $13,612,739,000, the Programme is the largest land transport system of its kind in the UAE and will shape the future of the railway sector for the coming decades.

Shadi Malak, Chief Executive Officer of Etihad Rail, thanked the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure for the unlimited support for this strategic national project, which contributes to establishing a new transport sector in the UAE. Malak also confirmed that Etihad Rail has made remarkable achievements in the development of the UAE National Rail Network, demonstrating its efficiency in the completion of the project as per the set plan. This comes in line with the company’s goals of developing cost-effective transport solutions using a safe and sustainable railway network, which connects the Emirates and provides special services to industries and the society, supporting the UAE’s economic growth and consolidating its leading position internationally.

Etihad Rail is working at an accelerated pace to complete Stage Two of the UAE National Rail Network, after the launch of Stage One of operations in 2016, finishing 70 per cent of the project despite the conditions imposed by the pandemic. The project is supported by 180 government and services establishments, developers, and contributing companies, and has issued more than 40,000 approval and no-objection certificates.