In Pictures: Tracking UAE’s Etihad rail

Etihad Rail shared a striking aerial image showing the progress of the railway network in UAE's Fujairah. The image shows the railway line cutting through the Hajar Mountains headed towards the coast of Ras Al Khaimah. A tweet shared on Etihad Rail's official Twitter channel read, "Our #PhotoOfTheWeek was captured in the Emirate of Fujairah, known for its breath-taking scenery and iconic mountainous landscape."

The project – which will link the country’s trade, industry and population- is rapidly progressing.

About 70 per of the line has already been constructed.

An Etihad Rail train in Al Mirfa. Etihad Rail, when completed, will run across a 1,200-kilometre track that will connect all of the emirates from Al Ghuweifait on the borders with Saudi Arabia through to eastern ports on the Indian Ocean.

Etihad Rail was established in June 2009, with the mandate to manage the development, construction and operation of the UAE’s national freight and passenger railway network. The railway network will link the principal centres of population and industry of the UAE, and will form a vital part of the planned railway network across the GCC.

The long-term plan is to be part of a wider railway network that would connect all six Gulf Cooperation Council countries, including Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar as well as the UAE and Saudi Arabia.

Built to the very highest international standards, Etihad Rail’s state-of-the-art network will act as a catalyst for economic growth and sustained social development.

The railway will redefine logistics and transport in the region, providing a modern, safe, efficient and sustainable network which will connect the seven emirates of the UAE to its neighbouring GCC countries.

The cost-effective railway network incorporates energy efficiency and sustainability while providing unique solutions for freight movement, distribution, handling, logistics and clearances.

A glimpse of Etihad Rail's passenger train, which will provide transportation services for millions of passengers between the UAE’s major cities in the highest safety and performance standards.

Commercial activity for Etihad Rail commenced in January 2016 after the Federal Transport Authority granted final safety authorisations. Etihad Rail has transported more than 30 million tonnes of granulated sulphur (the equivalent of around 1.8 million truck trips) for the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC).

One train journey removes approximately 300 trucks from the road, reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 70%-80% compared to the amount emitted by trucks required to transport the same cargo.

Stage One of the rail network links the gas fields at Shah and Habshan to the port of Ruwais, where granulated sulphur is processed for export.

Running for 605 kilometres, from Ghuweifat on the border with Saudi Arabia to Fujairah on the UAE’s eastern coast, the network, once constructed, will link the UAE by rail and connect it into the GCC. Laying of track on Stage Two commenced at the beginning of 2021 from the railhead in Ruwais, running westwards towards Saudi Arabia