Etihad Rail, the master developer and operator of the planned UAE national railway network, has awarded US-based Electro-Motive Diesel (EMD) a contract to design and manufacture seven heavy haul freight locomotives, a report said.

The locomotives are for delivery by 2012, the Gulf News report said.
The value of the contract was not revealed yesterday.

Etihad Rail was quoted by the report as saying the locomotives contract was a "momentous milestone" for the Dh40 billion national railway project.

"The locomotives contract award is perfectly timed to support Etihad Rail's inaugural service in the Abu Dhabi emirate's Western Region and reflects the requirement the UAE-wide project will have the first trains running on schedule in 2013," an Etihad Rail statement said.

"Following a competitive tender process, Etihad Rail awarded the contract to the US-based company, a leader in the construction of diesel-electric locomotives for all commercial railroad applications including intercity passenger, commuter, freight, industrial, and mining. EMD will design, manufacture, deliver, test and commission locomotives for stage one of the Etihad Rail network, running from Shah to Ruwais," it said.

The 266-km route in the Western Region will carry trains transporting up to 22,000 tonnes of granulated sulphur daily from sources in Shah and Habshan for export abroad at the port of Ruwais.

This route is the first phase of the 1,200-km mixed-traffic network that will span across the UAE, the report said.

The Etihad Rail network will also link the UAE to Saudi Arabia via Ghweifat in the west and Oman via Al Ain in the east. The entrie project is expected to be completed by 2018.