Etihad Rail’s freight services are now fully operational

The UAE’s Etihad Rail has launched freight services via its national railway network, the company said on Twitter yesterday. The 900 km national network connects four major ports and seven logistics centers across the country, with a fleet made up of 38 locomotives and more than 1k wagons. Its main line stretches from Al Ghuwaifat on the Saudi Arabia border to Fujairah, according to a company statement.

About the railway: The 900 km national railway network connects all seven emirates and can transport up to 60 mn tons of goods annually, according to a company statement. It provides “more reliable, sustainable, safer and cheaper solutions” and opens “more trade routes,” the operator said in a video posted on Twitter. When complete, the rail network — including passenger services — will stretch some 1.2k km across the country and slash carbon emissions by up to 80%.

Refresher: The first stage of the network has been fully operational since January 2016, while the second stage of the project commenced in early 2020. The freight line was officially inaugurated in February.