The United Arab Emirates' government has announced the launch of the largest integrated rail system across the country at the Expo 2020 Dubai.
The UAE Railways Program was annouced in the the presence of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai; and His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces.
Etihad Rail, the first national freight and passenger network connecting the seven emirates of the United Arab Emirates, is targetted to be ready before the end of 2030.
Lauched as Union Railway Company in June 2009, Etihad Rail will connect the UAE with Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman, making it a vital part of the $100bn Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) rail programme.
Jointly owned by the government of Abu Dhabi and the federal government of the UAE, the 1,200km railway project is estimated to cost $13.6 bn and is expected to serve about 16 million passengers and 50 million tonnes of freight.
Though UAE has a good network of roads, the new rail connectivity is expected to promote trade and social development in the Emirate and across the GCC countries, which will also significantly contribute to the reduction of road traffic emissions.
A 1.8 kilometre tunnel, built as part of the rail network in July this year, is the longest one in the Gulf.
The freight trains can run at speeds of up to 120kmph, while passengers can travel at 200kmph. Travel from Abu Dhabi to Dubai will take 50 minutes, and from Abu Dhabi to Fujairah will take 100 minutes.
The first phase of the network, opened in 2016, with 266km-long rail connects Al Ruwais and Shah. In Stage Two, Ghuweifat from the Saudi Arabia border will be connected to Emirates through Abu Dhabi, Khalifa Port, Kizad, Dubai, Ras al-Khaimah , Jebel Ali Port, Sharjah and Fujairah on the east coast of UAE.