The rail network will link all seven emirates.
The UAE is pulling out all the stops to make travel across the country easy for everyone. Currently, Etihad Rail carries only freight trains, but this all looks set to change. It has now been announced that Etihad Rail passenger services are expected to start in 2026.
Etihad Rail shared a post on Instagram featuring a meeting with HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler’s Representative in the Al Dhafra Region. In the caption, the company confirmed that passenger services will begin next year. However, the full network will not be operational until 2030.
Construction on Etihad Rail began in 2016, with the second phase starting in 2020. Once complete, the 1,200-kilometre network will connect all seven emirates and 11 cities across the UAE.
If you want to travel between the different emirates, you are currently limited to options on the road, including buses, coaches and taxis. Etihad Rail is expected to change all of that, and allow for smoother travel between the emirates.
Once opened, Etihad Rail passenger services travelling between Abu Dhabi and Dubai could take 57 minutes. On the road, Abu Dhabi to Al Ruwais would normally take about two hours and 30 minutes, and this journey time will be cut to approximately 70 minutes. On the road, Abu Dhabi to Fujairah would typically take more than two hours and 30 minutes, but Etihad Rail will cut the journey to one hour and 35 minutes.
Etihad Rail stations are expected to be located in Fujairah’s Sakamkam area, Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai, Sharjah’s University City and between Dalma Mall and Musaffah bus station in Abu Dhabi, according to Meed.com.
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GO: Visit www.etihadrail.ae for more information.