Etihad Rail concludes knowledge transfer programme with Deutsche Bahn

Etihad Rail has concluded the knowledge transfer programme with Deutsche Bahn (DB), Europe’s largest railway operator and infrastructure owner, ahead of schedule.

In addition to establishing the joint venture Etihad Rail DB in 2013, the partnership between the two organisations included knowledge transfer in railway operations, operations control centres, maintenance of rolling stock, and development of the operating rules and regulations, which was integral for subsequent operations.

Deutsche Bahn provided Etihad Rail guidance on health, safety, environment, and quality (HSEQ) requirements and the development of the ‘Operational Safety Case’, which contributed to Etihad Rail DB’s accreditation as the UAE’s first heavy rail operator.

Shadi Malak, CEO at Etihad Rail, said: “We conclude our knowledge transfer programme with our partner of almost a decade; Deutsche Bahn, ahead of schedule and in line with international best practices. We would like to extend our sincere gratitude to Deutsche Bahn, who shared valuable knowledge and expertise, aiding us in our goals to become one of the leading entities in the railway industry globally. We look forward to future opportunities, to work together again and achieve further successes.”

Niko Warbanoff, CEO DB E.C.O. Group, said: “We are proud of our successful and long-standing partnership with Etihad Rail. Together we have achieved the highest customer satisfaction with ADNOC, made a significant contribution to climate protection by saving a large amount of CO2 emissions, and kept our promise to provide a sustainable knowledge transfer to our partner Etihad Rail and the Emirati people.”

The joint venture Etihad Rail DB has been responsible for the operations of ‘Stage One’ of the UAE National Rail Network since 2016.

Since operations began for the first stage of the UAE National Rail Network, Deutsche Bahn has supported Etihad Rail in transporting over 44 million tonnes of Sulphur across 4,400 trains, whilst boasting an immaculate safety record of zero LTIs and delivering exceptional punctuality rates, to ensure reliable service. Consequently, Etihad Rail has reduced over 370,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions, and 2.68 million truck trips, supporting the UAE’s Net Zero 2050 Strategic Initiative.

So far, Etihad Rail DB has run 382 trains, and transported 3,685,000 tonnes of sulphur, with a punctuality rate of 98.4 per cent.

In recent news, Etihad Rail signed four memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with international companies such as SNCF International, Alstom, Progress Rail and Thales Group at InnoTrans 2022 in Berlin.

Read: Etihad Rail signs MoUs with international railway companies