Mermec and Etihad Rail in partnership to develop rail services

The Mermec Group, an excellence of the Italian railway industry, strengthens its international growth plan through the signing of a preliminary agreement (Memorandum of Understanding) with Etihad Rail, developer and operator of the national railway network in the United Arab Emirates. This step opens up new opportunities for the company in the Middle East and African markets. The agreement was signed at Global Rail 2025 in Abu Dhabi by Angelo Petrosillo, general manager Global business development of the Mermec group, and Shadi Malak, CEO of Etihad Rail, in the presence of Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, chairman of Etihad Rail, and the Italian ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, Lorenzo Fanara.

The collaboration includes the identification of business opportunities related to the construction of new passenger and freight railway lines in the region, as well as the modernisation of existing infrastructure with advanced monitoring systems. In addition, the two parties will explore the development of innovative signalling solutions on both new and existing lines, a field followed by Giuseppe Gaudiello, another top manager at Mermec.

In parallel, the Mermec Group presented at Expoferroviaria in Milan the new multi-parameter monitoring system, first installed by Trenord and renamed TrainScanner by the Lombard railway company. The solution represents a decisive step forward in predictive and condition-based maintenance processes: it integrates advanced technologies for the automated inspection of wheels, bogies, brakes and pantographs, as well as 3D train surveying and weighing in motion, into a single portal. A system that reduces breakdowns, unforeseen events, increases the availability of trains in operation and optimises costs.

Says Vito Pertosa, President and CEO of Mermec: "With the new agreement signed with Etihad in the Emirates and with the installation of our system by Trenord, Mermec is taking two steps that testify to the concreteness of our vision. On the one hand we offer concrete technologies to improve the efficiency and safety of railway fleets; on the other hand we strengthen our international presence, bringing our know-how to high-potential markets".

Mermec is active in advanced technologies for rail transport (signalling, train and measurement systems, electrical traction, telecommunications) and industrial applications. The company is wholly owned by Italy, with subsidiaries, offices and facilities in 21 countries and customers worldwide, to whom it provides project management, sales support and technical assistance. The group now has more than 2,400 highly qualified and specialised employees and is part of the Angel Holding (over 3,000 employees), which is also involved in aerospace and digital mechatronics. Mermec has always been at the forefront of scientific innovation and technological development; this is why the company invests around 12% of its annual turnover in research and development activities. Mermec's headquarters are in Monopoli (Bari).