Etihad Rail has shared a video offering an update on its Dubai route, which reveals the scale of the infrastructure behind the project.
The UAE megaproject is expected to radically transform transport in the country, for passengers, as well as trade and logistics.
The video, shared on the rail company's Twitter page, offers a glimpse of Al Qudra and Expo bridges, two of the 11 that make up the network in Dubai.
Building bridges
Al Qudra Bridge is the longest along the main line of the network, stretching for more than 610 metres and built from 15,000 cubic metres of concrete and 4,000 tonnes of steel.
Also featured in the video is the Expo Bridge. About 319-metres long, more than 7,310 cubic metres of concrete and almost 1,950 tonnes of steel went into its construction.
It also has more than 40 ground supports.
The video ends with a glimpse of the cargo terminal in Dubai Industrial City which is 5.5 million square metres in size.
Earlier this year, Etihad Rail announced its freight network was fully operational.
The freight line, which opened in February, consists of a fleet of 38 locomotives and more than 1,000 wagons.
There are four major ports and seven logistics centres across the country connected by the freight network.
Cutting down on travel time for motorists
Commuters will be among those who benefit most from the project. Significant social and environmental benefits would be created as a result of the network, according to Gottfried Eymer, chief executive of the Etihad Rail freight network.
“The benefit for people will be very good and positive,” said Mr Eymer, speaking at the Middle East Rail conference in May.
“Instead of 300 lorries, you have one train driver. Instead of people waiting in traffic jams, we are moving lorries to railway.
“As we are providing those services on a different network, we are delivering the streets for daily road transport.”
