UAE railway and urban transport news – Page 4
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NewsAbu Dhabi metro project moves forward
UAE: The Abu Dhabi Department of Transport has invited bids for consultancy services for the emirate’s metro and light rail projects. Companies registered with the Department of Economic Development are invited to tender, with applications due by September 13. According to the surface transport master plan for ...
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NewsJacobs awarded Etihad Rail consultancy contract
UAE: Etihad Rail has appointed Jacobs Engineering Group to provide technical and programme consulting services to support the expansion of its network under stages 2 and 3 of its national railway plan, now scheduled for completion by 2024. Jacobs will provide engineering and design services, review and provide critical oversight ...
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NewsChina and Gulf states discuss OTIF accession to support international freight
INTERNATIONAL: China and the Gulf Co-Operation Council member states are discussing accession to the COTIF convention, which provides a legal framework for the operation of international rail traffic. China’s interest is related to the growth of east-west freight traffic to and from Europe. Its accession would be politically significant ...
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Metro Report InternationalDubai Metro extension financial close
UAE: Financial close for Phase 2 of the Route 2020 project to extend the Dubai Metro’s Red Line by 15 km from Nakheel Harbour & Tower to the Expo 2020 site was achieved on March 20. Banco Santander, First Abu Dhabi Bank, HSBC Bank Middle East, Intesa ...
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Metro Report InternationalTunnelling begins on Dubai metro extension
UAE: Ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum officially launched tunnelling on the Route 2020 metro extension on October 24. Twin tunnels 8·8 m in diameter are being bored by 103 m long tunnel boring machine Al Wugeisha Expo 2020. The 3·2 km section from ...
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NewsDubai Expo train mock-up revealed
UAE: Alstom has presented a full-size mock-up of a Metropolis metro car for the Route 2020 metro project to a delegation from Dubai Roads & Transport Authority during its visit to France. Alstom is supplying 50 five-car trainsets for the Route 2020 project under a contract awarded ...
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NewsEtihad Rail suspends Stage 2 tendering
UAE: National rail developer Etihad Rail announced on January 26 that it had suspended the tendering process for Stage Two of the project and informed all the bidders in writing. Etihad Rail recently started commercial operation on the initial phase of the planned network, which links Shah and Habshan to ...
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NewsEtihad Rail commercial operations approved
UAE: Etihad Rail was granted official safety authorisations to commence commercial operations on Phase 1 of the network at a ceremony in Dubai on December 9. Operations partner Etihad Rail DB will run two trains per day on the 264 km route between Shah and Habshan and the Port ...
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NewsWorking more closely together
MIDDLE EAST: A number of joint committees are to be established by Saudi Railway Company and Etihad Rail to implement best practice in railway projects under a partnership accord signed in Abu Dhabi on May 10. The two railway companies foresee the partnership forming the basis for a wider programme ...
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NewsHuawei and Siemens to co-operate on communications
HUAWEI: Chinese communications supplier Huawei announced on April 8 that it had reached agreement with Siemens Convergence Creators GmbH to co-operate in the development of ‘end–to-end solutions’ in the critical communications market, including rail. Huawei says that it will draw on its expertise in GSM-R for voice communications and train ...
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NewsGulf Co-operation Council states discuss OTIF accession
INTERNATIONAL: The Gulf Co-operation Council and the Intergovernmental Organisation for International Carriage by Rail have signed a memorandum of understanding which could lead to the GCC and its six member states Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE acceding to the COTIF convention. The convention provides a legal ...
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NewsEtihad Rail operation and maintenance joint venture formed
UAE: National railway project promoter Etihad Rail has signed an operations and maintenance joint venture agreement with DB Schenker Rail. The Etihad Rail DB joint venture will initially provide operations and maintenance expertise for the 264 km Phase 1 of the network. Test running is now underway and commercial freight ...
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NewsWatching your wagons
UAE: New York Air Brake and Lat-Lon have provided monitoring technology for 240 sulphur wagons supplied to Etihad Rail. Eight wheelset sensors per wagon measure bearing temperature and the degree of tilt to warn of potential derailment. The upper hatch is monitored for open/closed status by two more devices, ...
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NewsRail Academy to be created in the United Arab Emirates
UAE: A memorandum of understanding to establish a Rail Academy has been signed by the Centre of Excellence for Applied Research & Training and Thales. The planned Rail Academy would provide Emiratis with high-level professional and academic training programmes to support the country's railway and urban transport projects. The partnership ...
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NewsEtihad Rail test running begins
UAE: The first test train on the initial phase of the national railway network which is being developed by Etihad Rail ran on September 22. Two trains will run in each direction per day during the three-month commissioning period. Each train comprises up to three of the seven SD70ACS locomotives ...
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NewsDB joint venture to operate Etihad Rail freight trains
UAE: An agreement to create a joint venture to operate the rail network under construction in the United Arab Emirates was signed by Etihad Rail Vice-Chairman Mattar Mohammed Al Tayer and DB Schenker Rail CEO Alexander Hedderich on June 27. The first freight trains carrying granulated sulphur on the 266 ...
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NewsEtihad Rail takes delivery of EMD locomotives
UAE: The first two of seven SD70ACS locomotives which Electro-Motive Diesel is supplying for the initial phase of the national rail network have been unloaded at Mussafah Port in Abu Dhabi, Etihad Rail announced on April 10. The heavy freight locomotives are to be moved to Mirfa in the Western ...
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NewsEtihad Rail secures US$1·28bn funding package
UAE: A five-year loan worth US$1·28bn has been secured to finance the first phase of the national railway network, project promoter Etihad Rail announced on February 26. The loan is being financed on a club deal basis by National Bank of Abu Dhabi PJSC, Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, Abu Dhabi ...
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NewsEtihad Rail orders EMD locomotives
UAE: Etihad Rail has awarded Electro-Motive Diesel a contract to supply seven SD70ACS heavy-haul freight locomotives for the first phase of its national railway programme. The locomotives are to be delivered in 2012, with the first trains scheduled to run in 2013. EMD has previously won orders ...
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NewsGulf Railway could start next year
MIDDLE EAST: The Gulf Co-operation Council remains optimistic that a 1940 route-km regional network could be operational by 2017. Despite concerns that the ambitious railway network linking the six states in the Gulf Co-operation Council could be delayed by the global economic downturn, officials are insistent that ...
