The connection between the largest inland freight railway terminal in the nation, Industrial City of Abu Dhabi (ICAD), and the UAE National Rail Network has been successfully completed, according to Etihad Rail.
The new line, which runs through important industrial hubs and metropolitan areas from the Saudi Arabian border to the port of Fujairah on the eastern coast, was successfully tested and completed by the company.
Mohammed Al Marzouqi, Executive Director of Rail Relations Sector at Etihad Rail, said, “Connecting the railway freight terminal at ICAD with Etihad Rail’s main line ensures our readiness to start providing our clients with logistics solutions by linking Abu Dhabi with various industrial centres and import and export points. This milestone brings us closer to achieving our goal of providing an integrated transport system that connects the industrial and manufacturing centres with freight terminals and ports across the emirates. The strategic location of the ICAD railway freight terminal will also drive value for all our customers as it is the largest indoor railway freight terminal in the UAE.”
“Our network will have a positive impact on end users, as it will contribute to reducing trucks on roads and bring down their maintenance costs. It will further drive the sustainable development that we are witnessing across the UAE, by enabling a positive socioeconomic impact on industry, commerce, the environment, and more,” he added.
This accomplishment is consistent with the objectives of the UAE Railway Programme, which is the largest integrated system for moving people and products throughout the nation. The program intends to link the nation’s major production and industrial hubs, open up new trade routes, and ease population migration.
After Stage Two of the UAE National Rail Network is finished, Etihad Rail will offer logistical services from the railway station, which is situated in the center of Abu Dhabi’s Industrial City, a developing center for industrial businesses.
The largest inland railway freight terminal being built by Etihad Rail in the UAE will process up to nine trains per day and will cover an area of just over 2.7 million square feet. The new railway freight terminal will include over 22 buildings and key infrastructure to support operations.
In addition to connecting Ruwais, Khalifa Port, and the container firms in Dubai within Jebel Ali Port, it will also connect quarries in the northern emirates with industrial hubs in the Musaffah region, facilitating the distribution of commodities across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and UAE. After being transported by road to the end-user destination, the containers will then be transported by rail to and from other freight facilities.
The railway freight terminal will serve as a logistics center for large companies, permitting better linkages to crucial trade infrastructure, such as ports, as well as the seamless transfer of raw materials and equipment for manufacturers. Additionally, it will provide customs services, increasing the competitiveness of ICAD tenants.
The new railway freight terminal, which will be open twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, will provide a number of competitive advantages for enterprises at the highest levels of efficiency in terms of transport costs and sustainability. The ICAD railway freight terminal will process approximately 15 million tonnes of loose raw materials, 1.5 tonnes of general cargo, and over 116,600 20-foot shipping containers once it is fully operational per year. This will promote a more efficient, affordable, and sustainable transportation capacity.
