Abu Dhabi-Dubai railway route confirmed
Eithad Rail Federal Government Committee says land required for the project has been completely allocated
The UAE’s rail network project has agreed upon the route of the network between Abu Dhabi and Dubai, the head of the Federal Government Committee on Etihad Rail has said.
Speaking at the first meeting of the committee, Falah Al Ahbabi said that the land required for the project had been completely allotted. The committee also reviewed the route of stages two and three of the rail network and are in the process of ensuring the necessary land allocation to connect the country’s ports, industrial areas and urban committees.
“The UAE railway network will connect various communities, industrial centres and ports, with minimal passage through residential areas, and will also later link to the greater GCC railway network,” Falah Al Ahbabi, also the general manager of the Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council, explained.
Once completed, the 1,200km long Etihad Rail network will cater to both freight and passengers.
The network will also link up to the GCC Railway Network, linking the UAE to Saudi Arabia via Ghweifat in the west and Oman via Al Ain in the east.
The committee also discussed further ways of ensuring the close coordination and collaboration of the various federal and local government entities to ensure time-efficient execution of the project, further discussing procedures for the issuance of no objection certificates by each emirate.
“Appropriate land allocation for the rail project is done through close coordination with the concerned entities and authorities in each emirate, a vital component in ensuring timely implementation of the project,” Al Ahbabi said.
The Etihad Rail Federal Government Coordination Committee comprises of the Municipalities of Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, the Western Region, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujariah, as well as other government entities such as the UAE Ministry of Public Works.
