Etihad Rail testing in Abu Dhabi

Technicians work around the company's network in Al Mirfa

Once complete, the Etihad Rail network will connect all of the Emirates – from Ghweifat in the Al Dhafra region of Abu Dhabi to Fujairah on the east coast. It will also link with Saudi Arabia. AFP

The link will take an estimated 375,000 vehicles off the roads. AFP

Inside an Etihad Rail train at Al Mirfa in Abu Dhabi. The complete network will feature 1,200 kilometres of track. AFP

An Etihad Rail train at Al Mirfa. A fully loaded freight train can carry the equivalent cargo of 300 lorries – reducing carbon dioxide emission by up to 80 per cent. AFP

An Etihad Rail technician at work on a train at Al Mirfa. Greenhouse gases will be slashed by more than 2.2 million tonnes a year once the network is fully operational. AFP

An Etihad Rail train at Al Mirfa. A contract to manufacture and supply 842 carriages will take the total fleet to more than 1,000, an eightfold increase in Etihad Rail’s transport capacity. AFP

Trains will carry petrochemicals, aggregates, construction materials, industrial waste, aluminium, perishable goods and general domestic and international cargo. AFP

Engineers work on an Etihad Rail train at Al Mirfa. While freight is the immediate priority, passenger transport will become a key focus in years to come. AFP

Although much of the route is through flat desert, engineers must excavate at least 15 tunnels through the Hajar Mountains and build 35 bridges for heavy cargo loads. AFP

Laying of track on stage two commenced at the beginning of 2021, from the railhead in Ruwais, in Abu Dhabi, running westwards towards Saudi Arabia. When completed, the UAE’s national rail network will have a total annual capacity of more than 50 million tonnes of goods. AFP

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