Etihad Rail completes track laying for Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah main lines

ABU DHABI – Etihad Rail, the developer and operator of the UAE’s national railway network, has completed major works on the UAE’s national railway network and completed track laying of the main lines in Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah as the final Packaging for the second phase of the project as part of the project. The main line of the UAE’s national railway network stretches from Guwafat on the border with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia through emirates such as Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah.

Etihad Rail is fully committed to continue track laying in the emirate of Fujairah over the next few weeks, bringing it closer to completing the UAE national rail network on schedule. This is in line with the goals of the UAE’s largest integrated sustainable transport system National Rail Initiative, which aims to connect the UAE by rail and accelerate the country’s sustainable economic development.

The Sharjah line, which stretches over 45 kilometers, is part of the final package of the project, 145 kilometers in length. The record connecting the emirate to the mainline worked more than 11.7 million hours over a 25-month period. Some 2,900 workers and engineers were involved in the project, which included track laying work and quality checks on the new production line. The line at Ras Al Khaimah, which stretches over 5.7 kilometers to connect the emirate to the main line, has recorded more than 1.3 million operating hours over 25 months, employing some 350 workers and engineers.

Khuloud Al Mazrouei, Deputy Project Manager, Etihad Rail, said: “Today, we have made significant progress, completing major works on the UAE’s national rail network and connecting it to the main lines in Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah, Bringing us closer. Always on schedule to complete the network and achieve our goal of providing an efficient and sustainable transport network that connects the emirates of the country and connects the UAE to the region. This is great for opening up the logistics and transport industry New prospects, driving social development and providing promising economic opportunities in various sectors in the UAE and the region play a key role.”

“We sincerely thank the local government entities in the Emirate of Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah for their vital support in making this project a reality. We are also proud to see this step further in the development of Etihad Rail Success in strategic national projects, especially following our successive successes recently linking the rail freight station at Industrial City Abu Dhabi (ICAD) to the mainline of Etihad Rail. In our distinguished national and global talent We are moving towards continuing our success story with the support of the emirates who have contributed to strengthening the UAE’s infrastructure sector,” she added.

Significant progress has been made in the final package of the second phase of the Etihad Rail Project, which spans 145km from Sharjah to Fujairah via Ras Al Khaimah. In May 2022, Etihad Rail began track laying operations for the parcel, coinciding with Etihad Rail Chairman Sheikh Tsab bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nah His Highness Hayan visited to check the latest progress.

The line in the final package of the second phase has 54 bridges and 20 animal crossings. It also has nine tunnels that extend over 6.9 kilometers along the Al Hajar Mountains, including the longest heavy cargo tunnel in the GCC, extending over 1.8 kilometers. The line traverses one of the most difficult geographic areas due to the surrounding mountainous terrain.