ABU DHABI: Mohammed bin Zahran Al Mahruqi, Deputy CEO of Hafeet Rail company has affirmed that the UAE-Oman railway project will serve multiple sectors in both countries and contribute to the development of new sectors previously nonexistent due to the difficulty of transporting goods.

He pointed out the project’s environmental benefits by reducing carbon dioxide emissions. The train’s capacity, equivalent to 300 trucks, will reduce 80 percent of carbon emissions generated by trucks.

Speaking to the Emirates News Agency (WAM) on the sidelines of the joint UAE-Omani Business Forum in Abu Dhabi, he said, “Today, during the forum, we witnessed the signing of the partnership agreement for the UAE-Oman railway project between ‘Etihad Rail’ and ‘Oman Rail’ along with Mubadala Investment Company.” He added, “The signing of the agreement marks the actual start of the project and construction works.”

He further stated, “Construction works were the focus of the second agreement signed today during the forum, assigni
ng the works to a national alliance led by Trojan Construction Group and Galfar Engineering and Contracting. The tender allocation reflects a clear vision aimed at empowering and developing national cadres and contractors, enhancing local value-added, and involving the private sector in this vital project.”

He highlighted the signing of an agreement to allocate control and communication systems with Siemens and HIC Corporation, providing the latest systems and technologies for train control and communication with the network.

He explained that the control system will be based on the latest European Train Control System (Level 2), providing ease and smoothness in train control and communication while ensuring necessary safety measures.

He anticipated that the joint railway project would achieve various objectives, including fostering closer ties between the two nations, with a passenger sector in the project accommodating up to 400 passengers per train.

He discussed the economic impact, highlighting freigh
t trains’ role in enhancing trade exchange between the two countries, with a cargo capacity of up to 15,000 tonnes of general goods and approximately 270 standard containers.

He noted that the passenger train’s speed reaches 200 kilometres per hour, covering the distance between Sohar and Abu Dhabi in 100 minutes, while freight trains take about 120 minutes.

Source: Emirates News Agency