The United Arab Emirates is accelerating the expansion of its transport infrastructure, with a growing focus on rail transport. A major railway project was unveiled at an official ceremony at the Al-Faya Depot in Abu Dhabi: a new High-speed train connection between the capital Abu Dhabi and the metropolis of Dubai. This project is intended not only to relieve public transport congestion but also to serve as a prestige project in the Middle East. The national railway company Etihad Rail, which is already working on building a freight rail network between the Emirates and is now also making progress in passenger transport, is responsible for the planning and implementation.
The planned direct connection will feature trains capable of reaching speeds of up to 350 kilometers per hour, comparable to European TGV or Japanese Shinkansen trains. This will reduce travel time between Abu Dhabi and Dubai to approximately 30 minutes. Currently, the journey time by car on this route is just over an hour, depending on traffic conditions. The new train thus represents an attractive alternative to road travel, especially for commuters and tourists wishing to travel between the two major cities.
In addition to the high-speed line, Etihad Rail also unveiled the United Arab Emirates' first national passenger train fleet. This fleet will eventually reach speeds of up to 200 kilometers per hour and connect additional regions in the country in the future. Four new train stations in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, and Fujairah have already been unveiled. These stations are designed to be seamlessly integrated into the existing metro and bus networks, enabling continuous local and long-distance public transport throughout the country. The United Arab Emirates, and in particular Dubai and Abu Dhabi, have been investing heavily in their infrastructure for years to drive economic diversification and establish the region as a global hub.