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The UAE’s Global Rail Summit last week saw a flurry of MoUs inked during the two-day conference. The event brought together a wide range of industry leaders and financiers to development efforts in the mobility solutions sector.
HAFEET RAIL-
Hafeet Rail inked a contract with Progress Rail for 27 state-of-the-art heavy-haul freight locomotives for the Oman-UAE railway project, according to a press release. Progress is a subsidiary of US-based Caterpillar.
Details: The locomotives are designed for the region’s harsh environment. Each train will span c. 2 km and be configurable to transport freight cargo, including bulk materials, containers, petrochemicals, metallic products, and other industrial goods.
AND- Hafeet tapped Systra for project consultancy: Hafeet enlisted French engineering and consultancy firm Systra to deliver engineering and administrative consultancy services for the project, Wam reports. Systra will provide technical support, which includes managing contracts, and monitoring contractor and supplier performance. Systra is also tasked with supervising all phases of project execution.
ETIHAD RAIL-
Emerge to install solar systems at Ghuweifat freight station: UAE’s national railway network operator Etihad Rail signed an agreement with Emerge – a Masdar and EDF’s JV – to supply Al Ghuwaifat freight terminal with solar power, according to a statement published on Friday. The agreement includes installing a 600 kWp solar PV and a 2.56 MWh battery energy storage system, powering 85% of the border-town terminal’s energy needs. The project will offset 8.5k tons of carbon emissions for the contract’s duration.
Etihad Rail also signed 10 MoUs and agreements with a slew of international companies to develop the UAE’s railway and transport infrastructure, Wam reported on Thursday.
The agreements signed included;
- An agreement with India’s Rites, a transport infrastructure consultancy, to explore cooperation in developing railways and related infrastructure in the UAE and GCC. The agreement covers rolling stock supply, leasing, and management of railway infrastructure in the region;
- A MoU with leading UAE-based AI and big data analytics firm Presight AI, to explore and integrate digital solutions across Etihad Rail’s operations. Under the agreement, the pair will look to develop AI-driven solutions for streamlining operations and planning;
- An agreement with South Korea’s Korea National Railway (KNR) and Korea Railroad Corporation (KORAIL), to collaborate in project management and railway construction. Under the agreement the pair will engage in technical sharing and knowledge exchanges in railway construction, operations, facility maintenance and rolling stock;
- An MoU with the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber (WKÖ), for the exchange of knowledge and technical collaboration in the railway sector, including the planning, construction, operation, maintenance and technology;
- An agreement with global engineering services firm L&T Technology Services Lmt, to develop a national mobility innovation center in Abu Dhabi;
- An MoU with IronLev to investigate magnetic levitation technologies to boost rail operations, to streamline operations and reduce the need for costly infrastructure;
- An agreement with European deep-tech firm Nevomo for autonomous rail solutions, to investigate the potential for integrating autonomous solutions into the railway sector;
- An MoU with Hitachi Rail to boost communication systems and smart mobility solutions, including boosting cybersecurity systems along Etihad Rails UAE railway network;
- A partnership agreement with Hitachi to fuse Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) technology into the UAE’s rail infrastructure, creating a smart platform to streamline rail operations;
- An MoU with Singapore based multi-modal public transport operator SBS Transit, to explore mobility solutions and AI applications in the railway industry.
