
'Will It Be Affordable?' Residents Await Clarity On Etihad Rail's Dubai-Abu Dhabi Train Fares, Timings
“When Etihad Rail does come, it will give a much-needed connection to residents,” he told Khaleej Times on Friday.
“There are currently a lot of challenges for people travelling between the two emirates and the available options are expensive, not environmentally friendly, and very time-consuming. The rail will facilitate free flow between the cities.”
Albarah El Khani
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On Thursday, Etihad Rail introduced the UAE's first high-speed, all-electric passenger train that will allow commuters to travel between Dubai and Abu Dhabi in just 30 minutes. Stations will be built in six areas: Reem Island, Saadiyat, Yas Island, and Zayed International Airport in Abu Dhabi, and near Al Maktoum International Airport and Al Jaddaf in Dubai. Details on when operations will begin are yet to be available.
Travelling at 350kmph, this electric Etihad Rail service will rank among some of the fastest passenger trains in the world. It will be faster than the iconic high-speed TGV in France which operates at an average speed of 320kmph. Currently, the fastest one is thought to be the Shanghai Transrapid, which has a maximum operating speed of 460kmph.
Another resident, Philip Chan, is curious to know whether the trains will have carriages for cars.
Philip Chan
“It would be very convenient if we could drive our cars into the train and then drive them off at the destination station,” said Chan, who helms the Konjiki Hototogisu UAE restaurant.
“Such motorails exist in Europe and they are very popular. I think if that was available here, it would also significantly reduce the number of accidents on the Sheikh Zayed Road and other highways," he added.
How much will a ride cost?For IT engineer Ronn Santos, the announcement comes at crucial juncture in his life.“My wife has just found a job in Abu Dhabi and we have to relocate,” he said.“This means I will have to drive over an hour to my office at DMCC every day. It would be interesting to know whether Etihad Rail can ease the commute. It will depend on where the stations will be and where we'll end up living. I also wonder whether it will be affordable.”
While Santos couldn't predict whether the train would make his life more convenient given the limited information available, he was excited about having more transport options between emirates.
Besides the electric high-speed train, Etihad Rail will also roll out a regular-speed passenger train that will link the emirates. It will travel at 200kmph and can accommodate up to 400 passengers. It will use the same rail as the cargo trains and will have four stations in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, and Fujairah.
Will there be last-mile connections?El Khani said such interstate connectivity is common in his hometown in the UK and it will be a gamechanger for the UAE. However, there coud be challenges. he added.
“The most significant part would be the efficiency of the last-mile connection,” he said.“It needs to offer connections to various areas and the prices need to be low enough to make financial sense for regular travellers to take the train. But I have to say, the Etihad Rail is a very good first step and I am sure it will only get better.”
Another resident, Sarah, who travels from Deira to Reem Island for work said that she would be keen to know the timings of the train.
“I leave the house at 5am to be in the office before 7am,” she said.“As of now, the Dubai Metro starts at 6am. So, even if there is a connection to the Etihad Rail when it begins, it would not be useful for people like me because the timings don't match. So I will be interested to know what will happen when the train service is rolled out.”
Nevertheless, the service would be extremely beneficial for her children when they go to college, Sarah said.
“My twins are in Year 11 now and one of them wants to study in University City of Sharjah and the other one in Abu Dhabi,” she said.“We were thinking of getting them hostel accommodation but who knows, by that time, there may be enough connectivity for them to travel to and from university every day and still be home for dinner together with the family.”

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