Etihad Rail, the developer, and operator of the UAE’s national railway is tripling its fleet by announcing the award of a contract for the manufacture, supply, and commissioning of 842 new wagons bringing its total fleet to more than 1,000 units to serve the whole network.
This expansion paves the way for rail transport to become a principal platform for freight haulage in the UAE following the completion of Stage Two, as it connects the entire country.
The contract was awarded to CRRC Corporation Limited, a global leader in providing solutions for the sustainable development of the railway industry, during an on-line ceremony attended by Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Member of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince’s Court and Chairman of Etihad Rail and Sun Yongcai, President of CRRC Corporation.
The contract signing was conducted by Shadi Malak, CEO of Etihad Rail, and Wang Hongwei, Vice President of CRRC Yangtze Group, a subsidiary of CRRC Corporation Limited. Also present for the on-line event were senior officials and delegates from both companies.
Sheikh Theyab reviewed the overall construction work progress of Stage Two and witnessed the purchase approval of more than 800 additional wagons, increasing the rail’s annual transport capacity to reach 59M tonnes.
Speaking on the announcement, Sheikh Theyab stated, “Etihad Rail is building a sustainable national railway network designed to transform the UAE’s freight transport and logistics mode of operation by modernising the haulage map for the end users, customers as well as operators.”
“The national railway network is designed to cater to the needs of customers and related industrial sectors, as well as existing multi-modal transport systems. Etihad Rail, the operator of a new, modern, scalable, and reliable mode of transport, will directly support the vision of the UAE’s wise leadership for economic growth and sustainable transportation,” he added.
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