Working with contractors 2F1JV, a joint venture of Vinci Construction Company and Archirodon, Jewers Doors were delighted to be awarded the contract to supply 14 sets of Swift-SEW bi-folding doors for Etihad Rail’s Al Faya Depot, the largest and most important facility within the UAE National Rail Network.
Located in the Abu Dhabi desert, where temperatures reach 50°C, Al Faya Depot is responsible for warehousing, installations, operations, and the maintenance of locomotives and wagons. It also includes an administrative building, which serves as the main operations and control centre for the entire network.
Thirteen sets of doors measure 4,880mm wide by 6,500mm high, while the fourteenth set is slightly wider at 5,210mm, the additional width being due to a slight curvature in the track to allow the train to enter the depot at an angle. Each door consists of four leaves, which are highly insulated to keep the desert heat out, with one pair of leaves folding inwards and to each side clear of the opening.
The door leaves are powder coated with a zinc primer undercoat and polyester topcoat to protect against the harsh desert conditions. The external colour is RAL 3002; Carmine Red to match the building façade and Etihad Rail’s corporate colours and internally, leaves are finished in a white polyester sheet to help maintain a cool environment within the depot building. Each door is fitted with two 600mm x 600mm double glazed toughened glass windows, drop bolts to provide additional security during heavy winds, and electrical safety features as standard.
Doors are operated via a powerful centre drive above the top track, the control panel is supplied with a programmable PLC and additional inputs to allow upgrading of the control system to suit the depot’s future requirements. Doors are interlocked with an air-curtain above each opening to conserve energy when a door is open.
Due to the success of Etihad Rail and the maintenance facility at Al Faya Depot, the construction of an extension to house passenger trains has begun, where Jewers has once again been selected to provide an additional two sets of identical bi-folding doors.