Construction of a key part of the UAE's national rail network has begun.
Tracks are being laid for the 139-kilometre stretch connecting Ruwais with Ghuweifat on the UAE border with Saudi Arabia.
Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed, the Ruler's Representative in Al Dhafra, announced the track-laying on Thursday, during his visit to Etihad Rail’s operations in Ruwais.
At least 59 per cent of project has already been completed.
When finished, Etihad Rail will stretch for about 1,000km from Ghuweifat to Fujairah on the UAE’s east coast.
It will connect Abu Dhabi's Khalifa Port and Mussaffah with Jebel Ali port in Dubai and the Port of Fujairah.
It is also envisaged the UAE network will form part of a wider-GCC rail network.
Stage one of Etihad Rail – linking the gas fields at Shah and Habshan to Ruwais – is already in operation.
Now the second stage of the project is advancing rapidly.
Aside from the connection to the Saudi border, crews are also working on a 145-kilometre link between Dubai, Sharjah and Fujairah port.
Workers will dig at least 15 tunnels through the Hajjar Mountains and build 35 bridges designed for heavy cargo loads.
Etihad Rail was created in 2009. Freight is the focus but its original mandate included a potential passenger element.
Meet Etihad Rail's first female train controller
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The Etihad Rail network will stretch from Abu Dhabi to Fujairah when complete -
Maithaa Al Remeithi is Etihad Rail's first female train controller. All pictures by Victor Besa -
Maithaa Al Remeithi has turned a childhood love of trains into her dream career -
Maithaa Al Remeithi plays an integral role in the UAE's rail sector -
Each day, two freight trains leave the depot at Etihad Rail to transport granulated sulphur from gasfields in Shah and Habshan to an export point in Ruwais -
The depot in Mirfa serves as the centre of operations for Etihad Rail -
Any one train can take up to 110 wagons, can travel at speeds of 120 kilometres an hour and, at full length, can reach about 1.2km -
It is full speed ahead for Etihad Rail's expansion plans -
Located a few kilometres inland in a large open expanse, two train tracks which serve Etihad Rail span 264km
