In the presence of Mohammed bin Rashid and Mohammed bin Zayed
The launch of the national railway program with investments of 50 billion dirhams
Mohammed bin Rashid and Mohammed bin Zayed during the launch of the national railway program at Expo 2020 Dubai.
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In the presence of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, the UAE announced the launch of the "National Railways Program", the largest system of Its type of land transport across all emirates of the country, which aims to chart the course of the railway sector at the level of the UAE for the coming years and decades, and what this includes in launching railway projects to transport passengers directly between the emirates and cities of the country, including the Etihad train, the first of its kind that connects Among the various cities and regions of the Emirates, which launched the first phase of its operations in 2016, with opportunities to expand beyond the borders of the Emirates.
The "National Railways Program" falls under the umbrella of the 50 projects, the largest package of national strategic projects that seek to establish a new phase of internal and external growth for the country for the next fifty years, thus enhancing its position regionally and internationally as a global center for leadership and excellence, and raising its competitiveness in various fields, leading to Take the best ranks in the world.
This came during a special event at the "Expo Dubai" for the 50 projects, where the event witnessed a review of the objectives of the national railway program, in addition to highlighting the "Etihad Train", which extends from Ghuwaifat on the border with Saudi Arabia to the port of Fujairah on the eastern coast, And review the stages of completion and operation within the specified timetable.
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, in a tweet on Twitter yesterday, said: "Today, I witnessed, with my brother, Mohammed bin Zayed, the announcement of the Emirates Rail Program (Etihad Train), which has come a long way in implementation. The project's investments are 50 billion dirhams. And its returns to our overall economy amount to 200 billion dirhams.. Ajyal project led by Theyab bin Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.”
His Highness added: "The Etihad Rail project represents the spirit of the union because it links the cities of the Emirates and the ports of the Emirates with one economic artery... and it establishes the fifty principles that the national priority is economy and development, and that the UAE is a single economic destination."
A project with which we are proud to introduce the new fifty in the UAE... and the next one is more beautiful and greater.”
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum said: "The Union Train is the largest project to consolidate the strength of the Union for the next fifty years, and will link 11 cities and regions from the farthest to the Emirates."
His Highness added: "The UAE's infrastructure is among the best in the world... and the Emirates train will consolidate the Emirates' global supremacy in the logistical field," pointing out that "Etihad's train complies with the environmental policy of the UAE and will reduce carbon emissions by 70-80%, and will support the country's efforts in achieving climate neutrality.
For his part, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan said, "The national railway program embodies the concept of integration in our economic system, through the largest partnership between state institutions at the federal and local levels, within a vision that aims to link industry and production centers and open new trade corridors. .facilitating the movement of the population..and creating the most developed work and life environment in the region.”
His Highness continued: "The national railway project will contribute to achieving a qualitative leap in the land transport system, so that it is more efficient and effective... in addition to strengthening our economic system regionally and internationally, embodying the second principle of the (Fifty Charter) in terms of building the best and most active economy in the world." His Highness: "The National Railways Program will contribute to qualifying new generations of national cadres capable of leading the railway sector in the future, by providing them with scientific knowledge and skills that constitute a qualitative addition to our base of competencies and expertise." His Highness said in a tweet on Twitter: "I and my brother, Mohammed bin Rashid, were briefed on the national railway program... a program that, God willing, will strengthen our economic system within a vision aimed at linking the country's cities to a more efficient, effective and ready transport network for the next fifty years."
In addition, His Highness Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chief of the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince's Court and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Etihad Rail, said, "The National Railways Program promotes economic growth and contributes to achieving a qualitative leap in the transportation system that is more efficient and sustainable that meets the requirements of The next fifty years, and keeps pace with the rapid development witnessed by the state in various fields,” His Highness pointed out, pointing out that “the leadership’s keenness to invest in qualifying national competencies is one of the most important incentives for the development of the national railway program. Through these competencies we seek to build a railway system that will be among the The most advanced and advanced in the world.
In this context, the CEO of Etihad Rail, Engineer Shadi Malak, said: “The Etihad Train Project is supervised by national competencies who carry exceptional experiences in a relatively recent sector of the country, which they gathered during the development of the first and second phases,” stressing by saying: “The Etihad Rail project will continue to qualify talents.” The National Railways Program will contribute to providing more than 9,000 jobs in the railways and supporting sectors by 2030.
Regarding the launch of passenger rail services, Malak affirmed that the Etihad passenger train will enhance the spirit of communication and solidarity among the residents of the UAE from one end to the other, as they will be able to travel between the capital and Dubai in just 50 minutes, and between the capital and Fujairah in just 100 minutes.
For her part, Deputy Project Director of Etihad Rail, Engineer Kholoud Al Mazrouei, said: "Etihad Train integrates with urban transportation in the country, and supports the provision of a comprehensive public transport system, to move the UAE to the fore in the field of infrastructure." She pointed out that this stage included the achievement of many Among the impressive results, including: working to build an operational railway transportation system from scratch completely, in addition to transporting 30,000 tons of sulfur per day instead of 5,000 by truck, which contributed to the UAE’s occupying the leading position in the world in exporting sulfur. 2.5 million truck trips are eliminated, which means increased road safety, lower maintenance costs and lower carbon dioxide emissions.
The National Railways Program aims to draw a new road map in the UAE to transport goods and passengers on board trains, which will contribute to the development of a sustainable road transport system, in the context of supporting sustainable economic development in the environmental, industrial and tourism sectors in the country, and in a manner that works to consolidate links between the various sectors. Emirates of the state and the promotion of the community welfare system.
The national railway program will provide investments worth 50 billion dirhams, 70% of which will target the local market. The national railway program will also contribute to reducing 70-80% of carbon emissions compared to other means of transportation, which supports the efforts of the UAE to preserve the environment. achieving its goal of climate neutrality.
The most prominent features of the national railway program are three strategic projects; The first is freight rail services, which includes the development of the "Etihad Rail" network. One of the most important features of this project is that it will connect four major ports, and will also include the construction of seven logistics centers in the country serving various trains and businesses. The volume of transportation will reach 85 million tons of goods by 2040. It will also reduce transportation costs by up to 30%.
The second project includes the launch of passenger railway services, where the passenger train will enhance the spirit of communication among the residents of the country by linking 11 cities in the country of commodities to Fujairah, traveling at a speed of 200 km / h. By 2030, the train will provide more than 36.5 million passengers annually with the opportunity to travel between the ends of the country, from one end to the other. The third project is the integrated transport service, which will include the establishment of an innovation center in the transport sector, which will link trains with networks of light rails and smart transport solutions within cities to be an integrated alternative that serves all residents and visitors of the country, and create applications and smart solutions for planning and booking trips, and achieving integration Between logistics operations, port and customs services, and providing integrated logistics solutions for the first and last mile.
Through the National Railways Program, a comprehensive and integrated transport system will be developed that will open up development prospects and valuable economic opportunities amounting to 200 billion dirhams;
The total estimated benefits to reduce carbon emissions will amount to 21 billion dirhams, and 8 billion dirhams will be saved from the cost of road maintenance, in addition to achieving tourism benefits estimated at 23 billion dirhams during the next 50 years, and the value of public benefits on the state's economy will reach 23 billion dirhams. .
The national railway program translates the vision of the leadership that has placed the land transport sector in the country at the forefront of developing the country’s infrastructure since the founding years, within plans and strategies that have worked to improve the efficiency of this vital sector and enhance its competitiveness.
The National Railways Program enhances the infrastructure of the transport sector by developing the national railway network, to be a key focus in the national plans for development, modernization and urban planning.
The projects of the National Railways Program are integrated with urban transport modes in the various emirates of the country, to provide a comprehensive public transport system that enjoys the highest standards of efficiency and competitiveness.
A quantum leap in the transportation system
As a vital strategic project, the "Etihad Train" constitutes a qualitative leap in the transport system in the Emirates, within an integrated vision that includes the transport of goods and passengers.
The train will link the Emirates of the country among all of them, as well as linking the UAE with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia through the city of Ghuwaifat in the west and Fujairah on the east coast, thus forming a vital part of the regional supply network and the movement of commercial transport worldwide.
The first phase of the Etihad Rail was completed, commissioned, and commercial operations began in late 2016. The construction works of the second phase of the “Etihad Train” project began in early 2020, which will cover a geographical area of diverse terrain, in the middle of the desert, sea and mountains, within a large-scale engineering scheme. It includes the construction of bridges and tunnels to ensure the highest levels of smooth flow of vehicular traffic under the railway network tracks.
The second phase
Work on the second phase of the Etihad train continues at an accelerated pace, during which 70% of the project was completed in less than 24 months, despite the global health conditions of the Covid-19 pandemic, which disrupted economic activity in various parts of the world, as the project enjoys the support of 180 parties. A governmental and service authority, a developer and a joint stock company, and more than 40,000 approval and no-objection certificates were issued.
Promote societal well-being
On the national and humanitarian level, the National Railways Program is the factors that consolidate societal well-being in the UAE, as the program touches the lives of the residents in the country directly, by raising living standards by facilitating the movement of transport, and making the public transport system in the country more efficient and effective.
Deputy Head of State:
• “Etihad Train is a project of generations led by Theyab bin Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan... and the future is more beautiful and greater.”
• "The country's infrastructure is among the best in the world... and the Emirates train consolidates its global supremacy in the logistical field."
The Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi:
• “(The National Railways) embodies the concept of integration in our economic system, through the largest partnership between state institutions.”
• «The vision of the program aims to link the centers of industry and production, open new trade corridors, and facilitate the movement of the population».
Theyab bin Mohammed:
• "The leadership's keenness to invest in qualifying national competencies is one of the most important catalysts for developing the national railway programme."
• Etihad Rail.. the first road transport system that connects various cities and regions of the Emirates from Ghuwaifat to Fujairah.
• The National Railways Program contributes to the development of a comprehensive transport system that provides economic opportunities amounting to 200 billion dirhams.
• Train passengers can travel between the capital and Dubai within 50 minutes, and between the capital and Fujairah within 100 minutes.
• The Etihad Goods Train will connect 4 major ports and include the construction of 7 logistic centers in the country.
• The national railway program will save 8 billion dirhams in the cost of road maintenance.
• 85 million tons of cargo, the volume of transport in 2040, and the project reduces transport costs to 30%.
• 9,000 job opportunities to be provided by the National Railways Program by 2030.
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