The passenger train line being constructed in the United Arab Emirates has the possibility to transform where people live, work and study, as per a senior from Etihad Rail.
The path was getting much attention on the opening day of the Middle East Rail conference held on Tuesday, 17 May, which took place at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre.
A launch date for the passenger line between Abu Dhabi and Dubai has not been announced yet, but industry experts think it will change people’s lives all over the UAE as well as around the region.
The passenger trains of Etihad Rail can travel up to 200 KM per hour, which will significantly decrease the travel time between the two Emirate cities and will ease the amount of traffic on roads, states experts.
No information was provided as to when the passenger line will be opening.
However, in March, the tracks between these two cities were joined up.
The connection between Abu Dhabi and Dubai stretches for over 250km and involves 29 bridges, 60 crossings and 137 drainage channels.
The part linking Dubai and Abu Dhabi is part of Etihad Rail’s vast network, which runs around 1200 km from the border of Saudi Arabia to Oman.
It is also expected to carry over 36 million people every year by 2030 between 11 cities around the seven emirates.
The travel time between Dubai and Abu Dhabi is predicted to be around 50 minutes, with a journey from Abu Dhabi to Fujairah is said to take double that time.
Construction is going on at the Etihad Rail bridge. This is part of the Etihad Rail development, which is a passenger and freight train project that will connect all seven emirates in the UAE.
A part of the Etihad network is already functional, with freight trains running from gas fields at Habshan and Shah to Ruwais since 2016.