UAE: Etihad Rail has awarded CRRC Qingdao Sifang a contract to supply three push-pull trainsets with options for up to 20 more.
Each trainset will comprise a diesel locomotive, five intermediate passenger cars and a driving trailer coach. They will have a design speed of 220 km/h, but would operate at 200 km/h in normal service.
The trains will be designed to cope with high temperatures and the sandy desert environment.
The interiors will feature first and second class accommodation and family zones, with wi-fi and powerful air-conditioning.
Deliveries are scheduled to begin in 2025, and the agreement signed on January 31 includes a 15-year warranty period.
