Etihad Rail signed four Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with Alstom, SNCF, Progress Rail, and Thales Group to develop the rail industry in the UAE which will contribute to the development of country’s rail network and the economy.
The signing of the agreements took place in InnoTrans 2022 trade fair in Berlin and cover key areas such as rail operations and maintenance, service facilities, passenger stations, and cargo transport. They are also ensuring the integration of the latest technologies, the exchange of knowledge and expertise, and investing in research and development.
“Our partners play a key role in supporting us to achieve our mission of developing and operating a rail network that incorporates state-of-the-art technologies, and provides safe, sustainable, and reliable solutions,” Ahmed Al Musawa, Executive Director of Passenger Sector at Etihad Rail, said.
Under the MoU between Etihad Rail and SNCF International, the two parties will collaborate and explore opportunities in different areas of mutual interest. These areas include railway operations, train maintenance, workshops and training sessions, design, development and operations rail projects in the UAE, supply and maintenance of rolling stock, mobility and integration solutions between various modes of transport and station services and facilities.
The agreement signed with Alstom is focused on the integration of advanced technologies and services in the railway industry. The two companies will collaborate in areas which include rail innovations, from concept and design phase to commercialisation, including innovative sustainability in the field of train technology, mobility and integration solutions between various modes of transport, the performance of the railway, and system’s life cycle performance. Etihad Rail and Alstom will also work collaboratively on a first and last-mile strategy, mobility digitalisation – which includes MaaS implementation, IT architecture and cybersecurity, testing and commissioning, operation and maintenance, rolling stock configuration and facilities, the development of a learning ecosystem and local industrialisation.
The MoU with Thales also places a major focus on the digitisation of Etihad Rail’s services. Under the agreement, the two parties will collaborate in various areas, which include new generation rail control, ETCS Level 3, driver advisory system, intelligent traffic operation, asset management, real time passenger flow, data driven operation control centre, video analytics; connectivity and passenger entertainment system, booking and ticketing system, and mobility and integration solutions between various modes of transport.
The MoU with Progress Rail aims to discuss areas of cooperation to support sustainability in the railway industry through discussing potential opportunities for the development and deployment of an autonomous, zero-emissions port-to-port concept, which could serve as the foundation for future rail operations globally. Progress Rail is currently suppling Etihad Rail diesel-electric locomotives under a contract signed in 2020 for 38 units. The rolling stock manufacturer has delivered the first batch of EMD locomotives in August.
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