Etihad Rail adds six weekend trains days after Abu Dhabi–Dubai launch
Etihad Rail added six weekend services to its Abu Dhabi–Dubai trains on 3 and 4 October, releasing more than 2,000 extra seats days after the route opened on 30 September.
Middle East & Africa Rail News
Gauteng plans 32 Gautrain trains instead of 24 under 15-year concession
Alstom will build eight new trains under the next 15-year Gautrain concession, in which Gauteng plans to grow the fleet from 24 to 32 four-car units.
Riyadh Metro, past 200m journeys, gets €460m of new Alstom trains
Alstom will add driverless Riyadh Metro trains on Lines 3, 4 and 6 under a contract worth about €460 million signed with the Royal Commission for Riyadh City.
Parallel Systems and Agility map out autonomous freight rail for the Gulf
Parallel Systems and Agility's corporate venture arm have agreed to develop and deploy autonomous freight rail across the GCC and wider EMEA, starting with a search for priority corridors.
Hitachi Rail to revamp Hajj metro that its Thales unit equipped
Saudi Arabia Railways and Hitachi Rail have signed a contract to revamp the Al Mashaaer Al Muqaddassah Metro, a Hajj line designed for about 72,000 passengers an hour per direction.
Spain plans lab tests on about 125 rock samples for Gibraltar rail tunnel
Spain’s state company studying the Gibraltar rail tunnel plans to lab-test about 125 rock samples from offshore boreholes for swelling clays and abrasive rock that could complicate tunnel boring.
Vossloh-Futrifer JV Targets Grinding and Milling in Morocco
MOROCCO: Vossloh Services France and Futrifer have created a Casablanca joint venture to deliver rail maintenance covering welding, grinding, milling and switch work on national and urban networks.
Karibib Logistics Hub Anchors New Walvis Bay Rail Link
NAMIBIA: The Karibib logistics hub is anchoring a new TransNamib–Kaleido freight corridor that consolidates inland cargo for rail movement to Walvis Bay, with initial volumes expected at up to 25,000 tonnes a month.
Eight Traxtion Locomotives Arrive at Port of Durban
SOUTH AFRICA: Eight Wabtec C28 locomotives have reached the Port of Durban from New Zealand, opening Traxtion’s four-shipment programme to rebuild and deploy 46 units for freight service.
SNTF Completes Modernisation of 20 EMD Locomotives
ALGERIA: SNTF has completed the modernisation of 20 EMD diesel-electric locomotives with Progress Rail support, returning the upgraded units to the national rail network after work by local technicians.
Vossloh Futrifer Services Maroc begins rail maintenance
MOROCCO: Vossloh and Futrifer have launched a Casablanca-based joint venture to maintain national and urban rail networks, with local recruitment and training due to begin in 2027.
Texmaco Rail South Africa Plant Set to Open in 2027
Texmaco Rail plans to open its first overseas factory in 2027, with the Texmaco Rail South Africa plant producing locomotives and freight wagons under a major export contract.
