Launching the National Railway Program with investments of 50 billion dirhams to form an integrated system for transporting goods and passengers at the level of the emirates of the country

Etihad Train.. The first road transport system that connects various cities and regions of the Emirates from Ghuwaifat to Fujairah

 

• The national railway program will contribute to the development of a comprehensive and integrated transport system that opens up development prospects and provides economic opportunities worth up to 200 billion dirhams.

 

• Mohammed bin Rashid: The Union Train is the largest project to consolidate the strength of the Union for the next fifty years, and will link 11 cities and regions from the farthest to the Emirates.
• Mohammed bin Rashid: The infrastructure of the UAE is among the best in the world, and the Emirates train will consolidate the UAE's global supremacy in the logistical field
• Mohammed bin Rashid: The Etihad train complies with the environmental policy of the UAE and will reduce carbon emissions by 70-80%, and will support the country's efforts to achieve climate neutrality

 

▪ Mohamed bin Zayed: The national railway program embodies the concept of integration in our economic system through the largest partnership between state institutions at the federal and local levels within a vision aimed at linking industrial and production centers and opening new trade corridors... facilitating the movement of residents... and creating a more developed work and life environment in the area

▪ Mohamed bin Zayed: The national railway project will contribute to achieving a qualitative leap in the road transport system, so that it is more efficient and effective... in addition to strengthening our economic system regionally and internationally, embodying the second principle of the "Fifty Charter" in terms of building the best and most active economy in the world

▪ Mohamed bin Zayed: The National Railways Program will contribute to qualifying new generations of national cadres capable of leading the railway sector in the future by providing them with knowledge and scientific skills that constitute a qualitative addition to our base of competencies and expertise

 

• Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed: The wise leadership's keenness to invest in qualifying national competencies is one of the most important catalysts for developing the national railway programme. Through these competencies, we seek to build a railway system that will be among the most advanced and advanced in the world.
• Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed: The National Railways Program promotes economic growth and contributes to achieving a qualitative leap in the transport system that is more efficient and sustainable, meets the requirements of the next fifty years and keeps pace with the rapid development witnessed by the country in various fields

 

 

 

• The Etihad Goods Train will connect 4 major ports.. It will include the construction of 7 logistic centers in the country.. The transport volume will reach 85 million tons of goods in 2040.. It will reduce transportation costs to 30%.
• The National Railways Program will save 8 billion dirhams in road maintenance costs
• The national railway program will contribute to reducing 70-80% of carbon emissions compared to other means of transportation...which will save 21 billion dirhams
• The National Railways Program will contribute to creating more than 9000 job opportunities in the railway sector by 2030
• The passenger train will connect 11 cities and regions in the country at a speed of 200 km/h.. It will transport 36.5 million passengers annually by 2030.
• Train passengers will be able to travel between the capital and Dubai in just 50 minutes, and between the capital and Fujairah in just 100 minutes

In the presence of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, the UAE announced the launch of the "National Railway Program", the largest system One of its kind for land transport at the level of all the emirates of the country, which aims to chart the course of the railway sector at the level of the UAE for the coming years and decades, and what this includes from launching railway projects to transport passengers directly between the emirates and cities of the country, including the Etihad train, the first of its kind that It connects the various cities and regions of the Emirates, which launched the first phase of its operations in 2016, with opportunities to expand beyond the borders of the Emirates. The “National Railways Program” falls under the umbrella of the XNUMX projects, the largest package of national strategic projects that seek to establish a new phase of internal and external growth for the country for the next fifty years, thus enhancing its position regionally and internationally as a global center for leadership and excellence, and raising its competitiveness in various fields, to reach Take the best ranks in the world.

This came during a special event at the "Expo Dubai" for the XNUMX projects, where the event witnessed a review of the objectives of the national railway program, in addition to highlighting the "Etihad Train", which extends from Ghuwaifat on the border with Saudi Arabia to the port of Fujairah on the eastern coast, And review the stages of completion and operation within the specified timetable.

In this regard, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum said: “The Union Train is the largest project to consolidate the strength of the Union for the next fifty years, and will link 11 cities and regions from the farthest to the Emirates.”

His Highness added: "The infrastructure of the UAE is among the best in the world... and the Emirates train will consolidate the Emirates' global supremacy in the logistical field," pointing out that "Etihad Train is in line with the environmental policy of the UAE and will reduce carbon emissions by 70-80%, and will support the country's efforts in achieving climate neutrality.

For his part, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan said, "The National Railways Program embodies the concept of integration in our economic system through the largest partnership between state institutions at the federal and local levels within a vision aimed at linking industrial and production centers and opening new trade corridors... and facilitating Population movement and creating the most developed work and life environment in the region.”

His Highness affirmed, "The national railway project will contribute to achieving a qualitative leap in the land transport system, so that it is more efficient and effective... in addition to strengthening our economic system regionally and internationally, embodying the second principle of the "Fifty Charter" in terms of building the best and most active economy in the world." His Highness added: "The National Railways Program will contribute to qualifying new generations of national cadres capable of leading the railway sector in the future by providing them with scientific knowledge and skills that constitute a qualitative addition to our base of competencies and expertise."

In addition, His Highness Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chief of the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince's Court and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Etihad Rail, said, "The National Railways Program promotes economic growth and contributes to achieving a qualitative leap in the transportation system that is more efficient and sustainable that meets the requirements of the next fifty years." It keeps pace with the rapid development that the country is witnessing in various fields.” His Highness pointed out that “the wise leadership’s keenness to invest in qualifying national competencies is one of the most important incentives for developing the national railway program. Through these competencies, we seek to build a railway system that will be among the most advanced.” progress in the world.

Qualification of national cadres

In this context, Engineer Shadi Malak, CEO of Etihad Rail, said: “The Etihad Rail project is supervised by national competencies who carry exceptional experiences in a relatively recent sector of the country, which they gathered during the development of the first and second phases,” stressing by saying: “The Etihad Rail project will continue to qualify talents.” The national railway sector is capable of leading the railway sector in the future, and empowering them with the necessary knowledge, expertise and scientific skills, which can also serve other sectors,” noting that the National Railways Program will contribute to providing more than 9000 jobs in the railways and supporting sectors by 2030.

Regarding the launch of passenger rail services, Malak stressed that the Etihad passenger train will enhance the spirit of communication and solidarity among the residents of the UAE from one end to the other, as they will be able to travel between the capital and Dubai in just 50 minutes, and between the capital and Fujairah in just 100 minutes.

For her part, Eng. Kholoud Al Mazrouei, Deputy Project Manager at Etihad Rail, said: “Etihad Train integrates with urban transportation in the country, and supports the provision of a comprehensive public transport system, to move the UAE to the fore in the field of infrastructure.” Many impressive results, including: working to build an operational railway transportation system from scratch entirely, in addition to: Transporting 30 tons of sulfur per day instead of 5 by truck, which contributed to the UAE taking the leading position in the world in exporting sulfur, and 2.5 million truck trips have been dispensed with, which means raising the level of road safety, reducing maintenance costs and reducing carbon dioxide emissions. .

Three strategic projects

The National Railways Program aims to draw a new road map in the UAE for the transport of goods and passengers on board trains, which contributes to the development of a sustainable road transport system, in the framework of supporting sustainable economic development in the environmental, industrial and tourism sectors in the country, and in a manner that works to consolidate links between the various sectors. Emirates of the state and the promotion of the community welfare system.

The national railway program will provide investments worth 50 billion dirhams, 70% of which will target the local market. The national railway program will contribute to reducing 70-80% of carbon emissions compared to other means of transportation, which supports the efforts of the UAE to preserve environment and achieving its goal of climate neutrality.

The most prominent features of the national railway program are three strategic projects; The first is freight rail services, Which includes the development of the "Etihad Train" network. One of the most important features of this project is that it will connect 4 major ports, and will also include the construction of 7 logistics centers in the country serving various trains and businesses. The volume of transportation will reach 85 million tons of goods by 2040. It will also reduce transportation costs by up to 30%.

The second project includes launching Passenger rail servicesThe passenger train will enhance the spirit of communication among the residents of the country by linking 11 cities in the country with commodities to Fujairah, traveling at a speed of 200 km/h. By 2030, the train will provide more than 36.5 million passengers annually with the opportunity to travel between the ends of the country, from one end to the other.

The third project is Integrated transportation service Which will include the establishment of an innovation center in the transportation sector, which will link trains with networks of light rails and smart transportation solutions within cities to be an integrated alternative that serves all residents and visitors of the country, creating smart applications and solutions for planning and booking trips, achieving integration between logistics operations, port and customs services, and providing solutions Integrated first and last mile logistics.

Through the National Railways Program, a comprehensive and integrated transport system will be developed that will open up development prospects and valuable economic opportunities amounting to 200 billion dirhams; The total estimated benefits to reduce carbon emissions will amount to 21 billion dirhams, and 8 billion dirhams will be saved from the cost of road maintenance, in addition to achieving tourism benefits estimated at 23 billion dirhams over the next 50 years, and the value of public benefits on the state's economy will reach 23 billion dirhams. .

The national railway program translates the vision of the wise leadership that has placed the land transport sector in the country at the forefront of developing the country’s infrastructure since the founding years, within plans and strategies that have worked to improve the efficiency of this vital sector and enhance its competitiveness.

The National Railways Program enhances the infrastructure of the transport sector by developing the national railway network, to be a key focus in the national plans for development, modernization and urban planning.

The projects of the National Railways Program are integrated with urban transport modes in the various emirates of the country to provide a comprehensive public transport system that enjoys the highest standards of efficiency and competitiveness, thus consolidating the position of the UAE among developed countries in the transport sector, as well as achieving the integration of logistical operations with port and customs services in the country.

Also, the National Railways Program supports various government objectives in many vital sectors, especially industrial and commercial.

union train

As a vital strategic project, the "Etihad Train" constitutes a qualitative leap in the transport system in the Emirates, within an integrated vision that includes the transport of goods and passengers. The train will connect all the emirates of the country among them, and will also link the UAE to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia through the city of “Al Ghuwaifat” in the west and Fujairah on the east coast, thus forming a vital part of the regional supply network and the movement of commercial transport worldwide.

The first phase of the Etihad Rail was completed, commissioned, and commercial operations started in late 2016. The construction works of the second phase of the “Etihad Train” project began in early 2020, which will cover a geographical area of ​​diverse terrain, in the middle of the desert, sea and mountains, within a large-scale engineering scheme. It includes the construction of bridges and tunnels to ensure the highest degree of smoothness of vehicular traffic under the railway network tracks.

Work continues on the second phase of the Etihad train at an accelerated pace, during which 70 percent of the project was completed in less than 24 months, despite the global health conditions of the Covid-19 pandemic and disrupted economic activity in various parts of the world, as the project enjoys the support of 180 parties and authorities. Government, service, developer and joint stock company, and more than 40 approval and no-objection certificates were issued.

There are more than 27 experts, specialists and workers working in more than 3000 construction sites spread across the Emirates, and have so far accomplished 76 million man-hours, using more than 6000 machinery and equipment.

 Promote societal well-being

On the national and humanitarian level, the National Railways Program is one of the factors that consolidate the societal well-being in the UAE, as the program touches the lives of the residents in the country directly, by raising living standards by facilitating the movement of transport and making the public transport system in the state more efficient and effective, and facilitating Moving the residents of the Emirates between its regions quickly, efficiently, comfortably and at an appropriate cost, in addition to enhancing the spirit of interdependence and cohesion between the various regions of the Emirates by linking them to a modern, world-class railway network that provides services to various regions of the country.