Etihad Rail: What is the new high-speed Abu Dhabi-Dubai route?

Country's largest transport plan continues to gather pace with electrified line announced

Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, and Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, inspect the UAE’s first passenger train fleet. Photo: Abu Dhabi Media Office

Etihad Rail has announced plans for a high-speed passenger rail service between Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Photo: Abu Dhabi Media Office

Sheikh Khaled on one of the trains. The service will cut the journey time between the emirates to 30 minutes. Photo: Abu Dhabi Media Office

Inside one of the carriages. The trains will travel at up to 350kph. Victor Besa / The National

Sebastien Mangeant, executive director of high-speed rail at Etihad Rail, ha said the service will support tourism. Victor Besa / The National

Inside one of the passenger train carriages. The high-speed trains will help to reduce traffic between Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Victor Besa / The National

Plans are also in place for a railway connecting the UAE with Oman. Victor Besa / The National

The UAE's rail project took a significant step forward on Thursday, as plans for a 30-minute high-speed train service connecting Abu Dhabi to Dubai were unveiled.

The country's largest infrastructure scheme, being led by Etihad Rail, is set to transform the nation's public transport network, greatly improve connectivity between the emirates and spur continued economic growth.

The planned Abu Dhabi to Dubai line will complement the existing Etihad Rail initiative, which will see trains run between 11 cities and regions, stretching from Al Sila to Fujairah and taking in Al Ruwais, Al Mirfa, Dubai, Sharjah, Al Dhaid and Abu Dhabi.

Here, The National explains everything we know about the fast-developing initiative.

New high-speed route

On Thursday, Abu Dhabi Media Office said the new line from Etihad Rail would cut the journey time between the two emirates to 30 minutes. Trips between the emirates typically take at least one hour by car and longer by bus.

Trains will travel up to 350kph – in comparison with the 200kph speed of the other Etihad Rail passenger trains in the works – on a route that will pass through “key destinations and tourist attractions”.

The new high-speed electrified line will feature six stations at Reem Island, Yas Island, Saadiyat Island, Zayed International Airport, close to Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai and Jaddaf, near Dubai Creek.

Construction has yet to start and a date for the launch of services was not revealed, but tenders for contracts have been issued and network designs approved, Etihad Rail said.

Abu Dhabi to Dubai in 30 minutes: Etihad Rail announces high-speed passenger line

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Connecting the nation

The latest milestone announcement comes 12 months after Etihad Rail marked its first passenger journey.

Freight services became fully operational across the country in 2023 and, after the successful maiden passenger service in January 2024, the hope is the network will be open to the public soon.

What is Etihad Rail and where does it go?

Work on Etihad Rail began in 2009. Since 2016, two tracks spanning 264km have been in operation – with trains transporting granulated sulphur from gas fields in Shah and Habshan to an export point in Ruwais.

Every day, two trains run across the country, capable of carrying up to 22,000 tonnes of sulphur. Each can pull up to 110 wagons.

When complete, the network will connect the seven emirates to the five neighbouring GCC states.

The line will ultimately link the UAE and Saudi Arabia from Fujairah Port to Ghuwaifat, through Khalifa Port and Jebel Ali Port.

Etihad Rail mapped

What is already complete?

Etihad Rail celebrated a major milestone in 2023 by announcing the network was open and freight services were fully operational.

Freight trains can travel at up to 120kph and the fleet of 1,082 wagons can carry everything from shipping containers to construction materials.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, officially opened the freight line.

It features a fleet of 38 locomotives and more than 1,000 wagons.

On the right track

Etihad Rail’s passenger trains will travel at up to 200kph, carrying about 400 people.

A start date for the passenger service has yet to be announced but the first station is being built in Fujairah.

Carriages will offer Wi-Fi, entertainment systems, charging points and food and drink options to cater for everyone from families to workers and tourists.

Customers were told to expect travel times of 50 minutes between Abu Dhabi and Dubai and about 100 minutes from Abu Dhabi to Fujairah.

A luxury train service is also in the works, after an agreement was reached between Italian luxury hospitality company Arsenale and Etihad Rail.

This service, consisting of 15 plush carriages, is expected to cross the UAE from Fujairah down to the Liwa desert in Abu Dhabi.

Travel time

In October, Etihad Rail announced the journey times for some of its main passenger routes, not including the new high-speed line.

Travelling from Abu Dhabi to Dubai will take 57 minutes, while a trip from Abu Dhabi to Fujairah on the east coast will take 105 minutes. The rail operator also said the travel time between Abu Dhabi and Al Ruwais, about 240km west of the capital, will be 70 minutes.

What about Oman?

The railway network will connect Sohar, via Sohar Port, to Abu Dhabi.

Trains are estimated to take 1 hour 40 minutes between Abu Dhabi and Sohar, and only 47 minutes from Al Ain to Sohar. A start date for the service has yet to be announced.