Etihad Rail on Tuesday provided a first look inside its passenger station in Fujairah.
On a media tour, officials told how the 52,900 square metre building is a key point in the UAE-wide network.
The station, the first fully completed passenger station, is located in Al Hilal City in Fujairah’s Sakamkam neighbourhood. It is 12 minutes by car from Fujairah International Airport, five minutes from Sakamkam Fort and six minutes from the popular Umbrella Beach.
A vast tract of land surrounds the station that is expected to eventually become a major residential district.
The station has been built so that it is easy for passengers to navigate once they arrive by car, public transport or taxi.
A striking tiered facade dominates the area, and inside there are ticket machines, digital information boards and large wall maps, while large spaces are ready for restaurants and cafes that will open soon.
Passengers enter through automatic gates and move upstairs to access the platforms and trains.
Journalists were taken on a short train ride to Al Bithnah Bridge, a about 20 minutes outside Fujairah.
The bridge is 40 metres high, 600 metres long and provides panoramic views of the city, mountains and palm-fringed villages.
'At the heart of the emirate'
“The station is strategically located at the heart of the emirate of Fujairah,” Adhraa Almansoori, Etihad Rail's executive director of commercial, told The National. It is close to tourist and economic locations, she added.
“The expectation for passengers … is that they will be provided with the main amenities in the terminals, so they will have food and beverage … and then on the train they will have a whole different experience,” she said.
“It will be a comfortable journey … where they can enjoy time with their families or finish business.”
Anticipation is building for the launch of passenger services that Etihad Rail has said will start this year.
The first services will connect Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Fujairah in the network's opening phase.
The other two stations on this first route are in Mohamed bin Zayed City in Abu Dhabi and Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai. Construction crews are working around the clock to complete those stations.
Travel times are still being worked out but Etihad Rail on Tuesday said passengers could expect a time of 57 minutes for Abu Dhabi to Dubai; 105 minutes for Abu Dhabi to Fujairah; and 69 minutes for Dubai to Fujairah.
Details of tickets and schedules are yet to be announced.
Nationwide network
The wider Etihad Rail passenger network will eventually stretch across the country with 11 stations announced so far.
It is not yet clear when these will open but the company has previously said they will become “operational in phases”.
The service should offer a major economic boost to Fujairah.
The arrival of passenger trains could also increase domestic tourism as the country tries to recover from the Iran war – seen as crucial in advance of a general tourism recovery.
“This domestic demand will play a critical role in stabilising and resetting tourism across the UAE and the wider Gulf region,” said Carlos Cendra, chief marketing officer at the Data Appeal Company, which offers travel analytics.
“Increased travel frequency and improved accessibility will help drive occupancy and gradually restore pricing structures, particularly as hotel rates remain under pressure.”
