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Etihad Rail, the developer and operator of the UAE’s US$11 billion national railway network, today announced that it has transported more than 5.24 million tonnes of granulated sulphur in the first 18 months of Stage One operations for Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), from sources at Shah and Habshan to its point of export at Ruwais.
Equivalent to more than 330,000 truck trips, the transport of granulated sulphur is the workhorse of Etihad Rail’s Stage One, which received approval for commercial operations from the Federal Transport Authority’s (FTA) – Land and Maritime in December 2015.
Two trains depart daily under the current timetable, each carrying 11,000 tonnes of granulated sulphur and capable of reaching a top-speed of 120 kilometres per hour. Etihad Rail is the country’s latest and most robust facilitator of sulphur movement, which is rapidly growing as an integral part of the UAE economy.
“Surpassing the 5.24-million-tonne mark with the transport of granulated sulphur is a significant milestone for Etihad Rail and stands as an emblem of our unwavering commitment to facilitating economic connectivity across Abu Dhabi and the UAE,” said Faris Saif Al Mazrouei, Chief Executive Officer of Etihad Rail.
“Stage One’s continued progress is a testament to the strength of the partnership between Etihad Rail and ADNOC, who are committed to the UAE’s continued economic diversification and stand aligned with Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030 and UAE Vision 2021,” Al Mazrouei added.
Stretching a distance of 264-kilometres, Stage One links the sulphur sources of Shah and Habshan to the export point of Ruwais via the Mirfa depot, which was recently awarded the Estidama 2 Pearl Construction Rating by the Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council (UPC) for its seven sustainable buildings. Stage One utilises seven state-of-the-art locomotives from U.S.-based Electro-Motive Diesel, with wagons supplied by China’s CSR Corporation.
The multi-billion dollar integrated rail network project, which will span approximately 1,200-kilometres when complete, is undergoing construction in three stages. The UAE will witness the development of a secure railway transportation network capable of transporting large volumes of goods and materials while linking the UAE’s principle centres of population and industry, along with the greater GCC railway network.
Etihad Rail is being developed in line with the core tenets of Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030 and UAE Vision 2021, which collectively chart a course for economic diversification through strategic initiatives set to catalyse UAE socio-economic growth.
At full capacity, Stage One of Etihad Rail is slated to transport more than seven million tonnes of granulated sulphur annually. – WAM
