The UAE's Etihad Rail passenger service project has reached an important milestone after an agreement was signed on overseeing the running of trains on the network.
Etihad Rail on Tuesday announced a venture with Keolis International, a French company which already manages the Dubai Metro, to operate passenger trains, in the lead up to the much-anticipated launch of the line next year.
Passenger numbers across the Etihad Rail network are expected to reach 36 million by 2030, to boost connectivity between the emirates and take cars off the roads to further environmental goals.
Etihad Rail has not given a launch date or information about the first passenger routes. But stations have been announced in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah and Fujairah.
Construction is gathering pace on these, and passenger test trains have been seen on the line over the past year.
Keolis, often through joint ventures, is involved in operating and maintaining several metro and regional rail networks globally such as Dubai Metro, the Valleilijn regional service in the Netherlands, and the Docklands Light Railway in London.
“Signing the Keolis joint venture means we are bringing the best operators to the UAE,” Azza Al Suwaidi, deputy chief executive at Etihad Rail Mobility (passenger services division), told The National at the Global Rail conference in Abu Dhabi.
She said the company's experience in heavy rail was crucial.
“With Keolis on board with us now, we are working on all of our operational readiness streams in getting the passenger service ready."
Laurence Broseta, international chief executive of Keolis Group, hailed the partnership with Etihad Rail to help drive progress in the country's largest infrastructure project.
“We are extremely proud of our strategic partnership with Etihad Rail,” she told state news agency Wam.
“We will leverage its advanced infrastructure alongside our expertise in launching new operations and delivering high-quality services to provide safe and sustainable mobility solutions across the country.
“This collaboration strengthens our presence in the Gulf region and lays the foundation for a long-term partnership with Etihad Rail.”
Ambitious plans take shape
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, in August shared images of a journey from Dubai to Fujairah on the Etihad Rail passenger service.
Sheikh Mohammed expressed his pride in the project and in “a country that never stops working, but rather adds a new building block to its future infrastructure every day”.
Ms Al Suwaidi told The National on Tuesday that the passenger line remained on track for its 2026 launch and would be “top notch”
She said the pressure to deliver was high, but it was important for the service to be “safe, reliable, punctual and sustainable”.
“That's the passenger experience that we would like to embark on,” Ms Al Suwaidi said.
“We are progressing with a certain momentum.”
A map on display at the Etihad Rail pavilion showed additional potential passenger stations across the UAE at places such as Sila, Mirfa, Madinat Zayed in Al Dhafra Region and Al Dhaid. Ms Al Suwaidi would not comment on the map but said Etihad Rail was “working really hard in delivering the project”.
“We are connecting 11 cities and areas within the UAE,” she said. “That is how we are going to service the UAE in terms of passenger [stations].”
Etihad Rail was established in 2009. Freight trains started operations in Al Dhafra region several years later, and the entire freight network was operational in 2023.
It is planned for the passenger service to not only transform transport in the UAE but also eventually connect to Oman and potentially across the Gulf.
When it is launched, passengers can expect travel times of 57 minutes from Abu Dhabi to Dubai and 105 minutes from Abu Dhabi to Fujairah.
Global Rail conference 2025 – in pictures
