Etihad Rail has received authorisation to begin commercial operations on Stage One of its network between Habshan, Shah, Mirfa and Ruwais.
Deutsche Bahn subsidiary Etihad Rail DB is now cleared to begin transporting sulphur from Shah and Habshan to the port of Ruwais along the 264-kilometre rail network. The operator will run two trains a day, transporting 11,000 tonnes of material.
Throughout the testing and commissioning phase, Etihad Rail moved more than three million tonnes of sulphur from Shah and Habshan.
HE Nasser Alsowaidi, chairman of Etihad Rail, said: “The start of commercial operations is one of the biggest milestones we have achieved to date and it is an incredibly proud day for Etihad Rail, for the UAE and for the wider Middle East transport sector.”
Once complete, the Etihad Rail network will cover 1,200-kilometres from the UAE’s border with Saudi Arabia to its border with Oman.
