DHL to use Etihad Rail for UAE freight operations:Etihad Rail and DHL GlobalForwarding have inked an agreement that will see DHL Global Forwarding using the UAE’s national rail network for its freight operations in the country, according to a press release (pdf). Under the terms set out in the 20-year partnership, DHL Global Forwarding will adopt rail as one of the main modes for transporting goods across the UAE. The statement did not reveal a timeline or investment value for the agreement, which represents Etihad Rail’s first commercial partnership since the national railway network opened for freight operations earlier this year, according to the statement.

The agreement is expected to boost trade and logistics in the UAE and ease pressure on road networks, as well as strengthen end-to-end logistics and supply chain services for customers in the region, the statement said.

The partnership is a big plus for the UAE’s sustainability drive: Etihad Rail is slated to make significant contributions towards the UAE Net Zero 2050 drive. Current projections see the UAE’s national railway reducing emissions from trucks by 21% by 2050, with each freight train accounting for 300 trucks taken off the road, the statement added.

Background: Etihad Rail’s 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 and can transport up to 60 mn tons of cargo annually, according to a statement.

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