Etihad Rail, the national railway network of the UAE, recently conducted a passenger train journey from Abu Dhabi to Dubai. The journey was experienced by Major General Staff Sheikh Ahmed bin Tahnoun Al Nahyan, Deputy Chief of Staff of the UAE Armed Forces, on board Etihad Rail’s prototype passenger train. The train departed from Al Faya, which is Etihad Rail’s main operations and maintenance facility, and arrived at Al Qudra in Dubai.
During the journey, Sheikh Ahmed and a delegation from the Ministry of Defence reviewed the progress of the UAE National Railway Network’s freight train operations and Etihad Rail’s achievements since its inauguration. Upon their arrival at the depot, they were received by Shadi Malak, CEO of Etihad Rail, and several senior company officials.
Emirati cadres at Etihad Rail briefed the delegation on the company’s most important developments since the inauguration of the network and launch of freight operations in February 2023. They also discussed Etihad Rail’s pivotal role in the country’s transportation and logistics sector, and its contribution to the UAE’s economic growth and sustainable development.
Etihad Rail has transported more than 7.4 million tons of sulphur and over 2.4 million tons of aggregates across the UAE since the launch of its freight operations. The company’s contribution supports the realisation of both Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030 and UAE Centennial Plan 2071.
The visit included a tour of the operations and maintenance facility, which is considered the most important within the National Railway Network. The delegation was briefed on how operations of the entire network are overseen and monitored in the control center.
