Etihad Rail, the developer and operator of the UAE’s national railway network, has signed four memoranda of understanding with a number of world-leading companies in the rail and road transport sector during its participation in the InnoTrans 2022 exhibition, the global trade fair specialized in transport technologies, held in The German capital, Berlin, from 20-23 September.
The memorandums of understanding that were signed include the National Railway Company of France, owned by the French government / SNCF / one of the largest railway transport companies in France, and Alstom / which is one of the largest global companies in the field of sustainable transport and the establishment of the railway infrastructure, Progress Rail, a Caterpillar company and one of the world’s largest suppliers of rail products and services, and Thales Group, a French multinational company that designs, develops and manufactures innovative electronic systems, solutions and equipment for the aerospace, defence, transportation and security sectors.
The memorandums of understanding, which were signed by senior officials of Etihad Rail and each of the signatories, aim to support economic development efforts in the UAE and promote the growth of the railway sector in the country and the region in general, as they cover many areas including railway operations and maintenance and support service facilities passenger terminals, and freight operations, as well as ensuring integration with the latest technologies, exchanging knowledge and experiences, adopting best practices and investing in research and development activities in the railway services sector.
Ahmed Al-Masawi, Executive Director of the Passenger Sector at Etihad Rail, said: “This strategic cooperation with various leading companies in the sector confirms the pivotal role of our partners in providing support towards achieving our mission of developing and operating the national railway network according to the highest standards while employing the best technologies and the most advanced to ensure safe, sustainable and reliable transportation solutions.”
He added: “By activating cooperation at the international level, concluding agreements and signing memoranda of understanding to exchange experiences with global authorities in the field of rail transport and freight transport, we are committed to working on developing the national railway network to meet the requirements of our customers and support them in achieving their business goals as well as leading a supply chain. Sustainable and cost-effective to ensure the provision of competitive transportation services to customers at reasonable prices and high quality.
The memorandum of understanding signed between Etihad Rail and the French National Railways Company ( SNCF ) stipulates strengthening cooperation between the two sides and exploring opportunities in various areas of common interest, which include the operations of managing and operating railway services; train maintenance; holding workshops and training courses;
designing, developing and operating rail projects in the UAE; the supply and maintenance of transport vehicles; mobility solutions and integration between different types of transportation; Stations services, facilities and other fields.
Diego Diaz, CEO of SNCF, said: “Rail transport is the foundation of sustainable mobility, and we commend Etihad Rail’s commitment towards implementing ambitious rail projects and look forward to this cooperation and its qualitative results.”
On the other hand, the memorandum of understanding signed between Etihad Rail and Alstom focused on ways to integrate the latest technologies and services in the railway sector. The two sides agreed to cooperate in areas including innovations in the field of railways, from the initial stages to marketing, including sustainable innovations in rail technology; mobility solutions and integration between different types of Transportation; And enhance the efficiency of railways and the efficiency of the life cycle of its systems.
The cooperation activities between Etihad Rail and Alstom also include preparing strategies and achieving digital transformation in the field of transport, such as the deployment of mobility systems as a service, development of engineering designs for logical systems/information technology and digital security, implementation of systems testing and commissioning, operations and maintenance, and design of vehicles Transportation, facility construction, system development for learning activities, local manufacturing operations and other areas of common interest.
Mama Sogovara, General Manager of ALSTOM in the Middle East, North Africa and Turkey, said: “We are pleased to collaborate with Etihad Rail to build a robust transportation system in the UAE and the region as a whole, as we will work together to digitize the railway sector with the aim of improving operational operations. Maintenance and enhancing the customer experience to serve passengers, as well as finding the best zero-emission and environmentally friendly solutions, including solutions related to sustainable innovations and sustainable mobility.”
The memorandum of understanding signed with Thales Group focuses on achieving the digital transformation of Etihad Rail services, as it stipulates cooperation between the two sides in various areas, including the new generation of railway control systems, the European system for third-level train control, the driver assistance system, and operations Intelligent traffic control, asset management, passenger facilitation, data-driven process control centres, video analysis technologies, passenger communication and entertainment systems, reservation and ticketing systems, mobility solutions and the integration of various types of Transportation.
Miller Crawford, Executive Vice President of Ground Transportation Systems at Thales Group, said: “The signing of the MoU with Etihad Rail reinforces our role as a key partner in the global sector, which is to provide the best solutions to our customers to help them meet the challenges that are what It reflects the rich experience we have in the railway sector.”
In turn, the memorandum of understanding with Progress Rail aims to discuss areas of cooperation to support and enhance sustainability standards in the railway sector by discussing potential opportunities to develop sustainable concepts and practices that enhance the provision of transport services without carbon emissions, to build a basis for the development of sustainable and carbon-free rail services in the future.
Marty Haycraft, President and CEO of Progress Rail, said: “We are committed to providing sustainable solutions to our customers such as Etihad Rail, as we will develop cutting-edge technologies and solutions to ensure the provision of carbon-neutral rail transport services in accordance with the highest international standards and practices.”
Etihad Rail participated in InnoTrans 2022 as one of the exhibitors specialized in the railways and transport sectors, where the company’s pavilion, which spanned an area of more than 1,000 square meters, presented the latest developments related to the development of the UAE national railway network.
InnoTrans, which takes place once every two years in Berlin, is one of the world’s leading trade fairs for transportation technologies.