Huawei announces its own collaboration with Selex Elsag, a Finmeccanica Group company, for the construction of the first railway line in the United Arab Emirates which will be completed by the end of 2014. Huawei, one of the international leaders in the supply of Information and Communication Technology (Ict) solutions, was chosen by Selex Elsag as supplier of the mobile network (GSM-R), optical and IP.
This first section will be an essential part of the new UAE railway network which, with a length of over 1.200 kilometers, by the end of 2017 it will connect the urban and peripheral areas of the UAE and open new connections with Saudi Arabia and Oman. With Huawei's wireless network, highly sophisticated mobile communications will be guaranteed along the 266 km line that will connect the entire Shah oil area and will allow the transport of over 7 million tons of granulated sulfur per year from Habshan to Ruwais for the export.
The project for the construction of the first railway section of the United Arab Emirates, after a tender that saw the participation of over twenty consortia, was recently awarded by the UAE railway operator Etihad Rail Company to the group made up of the Italian Saipem (part of the ENI Group) and Maire Tecnimont, together with the Indian company Dodsal Engineering & Construction PTE Limited. The Joint Venture then selected Ansaldo STS (Finmeccanica Group) for the construction of all the technological component of the newly built line, both for the vital part, i.e. the part that guarantees the safety of railway traffic, and for the information part public.
Huawei Enterprise GSM-R technology is essential to improve the operational efficiency and safety of the UAE's first railway line, the wireless system will in fact be used to connect train chiefs, crews on board, railway traffic controllers, station personnel and other operating groups, as well as the operators involved in the composition of the trains in the railway centers which will allow passengers to be offered a totally safe and reliable service. By providing standardized railway solutions, Huawei's GSM-R portfolio enables interoperability between different railway companies, ensuring the highest level of service quality in every situation, even at the fastest speeds.
Thanks to Huawei's consolidated experience in the development and implementation of LTE networks around the world, the new network is already prepared to welcome the evolution of this latest generation technology. ” This first commercial contract with the Finmeccanica Group outside of China represents a significant milestone for Huawei and confirms our continued commitment to provide mobile communication networks and innovative solutions to railway operators around the world and launches the strategic collaboration with SELEX Elsag and the Finmeccanica Group,” commented Roberto Loiola, Vice President of Huawei Western Europe.
Huawei has been engaged in the research of GSM-R technologies since 2002 and today boasts a worldwide leadership in the creation of reliable railway communication networks that integrate information services, application systems and software in a single ICT system. Huawei's GSM-R solutions have already been successfully implemented in Europe, Asia and Australia, where they have overcome great challenges such as the world's highest railway, the longest railway, and the one with the highest operating speed. Today, the railway networks using Huawei solutions have reached a total length equal to almost one and a half times the circumference of the earth. “The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is currently the fastest growing market for rail projects in the world. Along with the increase in the efficiency of means of transport, there is an increase in the number of projects for the construction of metros, trams and monorails which will lead to the doubling of the size of the railway market in the next ten years. According to the MEED Railway Report 2011, Investments worth more than $250 billion are planned in the region”, commented Dong Wu, Vice President of Huawei Enterprise Middle East.
