Abu Dhabi's Etihad Rail station is about to change the way we travel between the UAE capital and the rest of the country. The National was invited on Thursday to tour the hub just days before its grand opening on Tuesday.
The station is in Mohamed bin Zayed City, about 30km from Abu Dhabi city centre. Passengers can expect a seamless experience from the moment they set foot inside.
From the outside, the station looks futuristic, with a white-panelled facade. On entering the atrium, one of the first things passengers will see is Emirates Sands, a stylised 3D map of the planned rail network made up of sand from each of the seven emirates.
The station's design makes perfect use of natural light, while guiding lines on the floor ensure first-time visitors know where to find their platforms.
The atrium hosts restaurants, cafes and shops, as well as a dedicated lounge for holders of premium class tickets. WH Smith, Chicking, Shot and Starbucks are among the retailers confirmed to be opening branches inside the station.
Rail tickets can be purchased from conveniently placed machines, as can Hafilat bus passes, with the station having been integrated into Abu Dhabi's bus network. Etihad Rail has also set up a shuttle service to ferry passengers to and from Reem Mall, Adnoc headquarters and Adnec, with tickets available for Dh10.
The station's two platforms are connected by an underpass. Ample parking spaces are available, and cyclists can make use of dedicated bike lanes to travel between the station and the nearby Shabiya district.
Soaring demand
Adhraa Almansoori, executive director at Etihad Rail Mobility, said demand for tickets had been even higher than anticipated, with more than 5,000 bookings recorded within two days.
Tickets can be booked on Etihad Rail's website and app, which has become the UAE's most-downloaded free app since it was launched.
“I want people to make the train a part of their daily life,” Ms Almansoori said. “Passenger rail represents the moment when the railway stops being something people see in the distance and becomes something they experience for themselves through everyday journeys, family visits and new opportunities.”
The Mohamed bin Zayed City station, as well as the one in Al Hilal City in Fujairah, begin operations on Tuesday. They will be followed on September 30 by stations at Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai and Al Dhaid in Sharjah.
-
Ticket machines at Etihad Rail's new passenger train station in Mohamed bin Zayed City, Abu Dhabi. All photos: Victor Besa / The National -
Premium class seats on board the new trains -
The station’s design allows it to make perfect use of natural light, while guiding lines on the floor ensure first-time visitors will know where to find their platforms -
Turnstiles inside the passenger train station in Mohamed bin Zayed City -
UAE flags outside the station in the UAE capital -
One of Etihad Rail's 13 new passenger trains on the platform at the new public transport hub -
A 3D map of the UAE inside the station shows the planned route of Etihad Rail's nationwide passenger network -
Etihad Rail has announced that journeys between Abu Dhabi and Fujairah will begin on June 30 -
The Mohamed bin Zayed City station, along with Al Hilal City station in Fujairah, are the first of 10 announced rail hubs in the UAE
Five stations in Al Dhafra Region of Abu Dhabi – in Al Sila, Al Dhannah, Mirfa, Madinat Zayed and Liwa – will open on December 30, and Sharjah's University City station will begin operations on March 30 next year.
Ready for launch
Abu Dhabi-Fujairah was chosen as the initial route for its operational and engineering complexity. Etihad Rail's trains carry passengers from the sands around the capital through the mountains of the Northern Emirates using a series of bridges and tunnels.
Etihad Rail emphasised that those who want a quick, safe and convenient way to travel should not hesitate to board the train.
“The biggest value a train can give you is to give you back your time,” Ms Almansoori said.
In terms of future network expansion, she said Etihad Rail would monitor passenger demand before determining where new routes are most needed.
Etihad Rail anticipates that the passenger rail network will generate economic and social benefits worth about Dh91 billion ($24.7 billion) over the next 50 years, out of the Dh200 billion it forecasts will be created by the UAE railway system as a whole.
“The possibilities are endless – this is just a start,” Ms Almansoori said. “We are ready. I think it is going to be a celebration.”
