Ethiad Rail takes first delivery of freight wagons

The wagons were delivered to Mina Zayed by ship and will be used in phase I of the Etihad Rail project, linking Shah and Habshan to Ruwais in the Western Region (Gharbia), UAE. The main function of this line will be the transportation of granulated sulfur, but later lines will be used for a wider

Nasser Saif Al Mansoori, CEO of Etihad Rail said that he expects the first trains to run within the year, and with phase II getting underway in spring of 2013, it is only a matter of time before phase III can begin.

As we reported in November, Ethiad Rail has signed a memorandum of understanding with Sharjah Cement Plant, a venture of Sharjah Cement and Industrial Development Company (SCIDC), marking the first prospective customer for Phase III of the rail network. As well as allowing Sharjah Cement to use rail for the efficient transport of basic raw materials and cement to its customers throughout the UAE, the project will also pave the way for a cleaner cement industry in the GCC. Because of the distances involved, the process of transporting bulk products by rail produces 70 – 80% less CO₂ than transportation of the same tonnage by truck. There is no word on the exact start date for phase III of the Ethiad Rail project, but with the timely delivery of these first wagons, and phase II just around the corner, the quick progress so far is an encouraging sign that UAE cement will be shipped by rail before long.

Written by Jack Davidson.

Read the article online at: https://www.worldcement.com/africa-middle-east/07012013/uae_ethiad_rail_project_bulk_materials_handling_cement_813/