Etihad signs deal to build rail terminal

Etihad Rail will build an intermodal rail terminal in Jebel Ali port for the efficient transfer of freight. Etihad Rail, which is developing the railway network in the country, and DP World have signed a MoU in this regard, which represents a significant step forward in the development of the rail network, as it will enable the more efficient transfer of containerised freight. DP World has already earmarked a strategic potential plot for the intermodal rail terminal, adjacent to Jebel Ali Maritime Terminal 1 and close to Terminal 2. The team at DP World will oversee the building and operation of the loading and unloading facilities at the rail terminal while Etihad Rail will construct and own the railway infrastructure and manage the rail services to and from the ?terminal.    This important agreement was signed by chairman of Etihad Rail Nasser Al Sowaidi and chairman of DP World Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem. In a statement, Al Sowaidi said that intermodal rail terminal inside Jebel Ali Port will enable the efficient transfer of containerised freight from ocean vessels onto the rail network and vice versa. “The project will ultimately boost the economic growth of the UAE,” he said. Sulayem said the rail terminal and the Etihad Rail network as a whole will add significantly to the efficiency at Dubai’s flagship Jebel Ali port. “This will add enormously to the efficiency of the supply chain and reinforce Dubai’s status as both a regional hub and a gateway for cargo for the UAE and the wider Middle East, Subcontinent and East Africa region,” he said. The MoU highlights how the rail network can offer logistics companies a safer, more efficient and more environmentally-friendly solution to their transportation requirements. The shift from truck to rail transportation will reduce truck traffic on the roads surrounding Jebel Ali while also being more cost effective for businesses over long haul moves. One Etihad Rail train will carry up to 260 TEU’s, which, if transported by road, would require at least 130 trucks, and by 2030 it is expected that the Jebel Ali intermodal rail terminal will have a capacity to handle the transfer of five million TEU’s per annum. In October last year, Etihad Rail signed a formal agreement with Adnoc to help it transfer sulphur from its sources in Shah and Habshan to its point of export at Ruwais. Upon completion, the Etihad Rail network, which will cater to both freight and passengers, will span a total of 1,200 kilometres across the Emirates. It will connect urban and remote communities, facilitate trade, open up communication channels and foster economic development. The network will also form a vital part of the GCC Railway Network, linking the UAE to Saudi Arabia via Ghweifat in the West and Oman via Al Ain in the East.