The first passenger journey on Etihad Rail's route between Abu Dhabi and Al Dhannah took place on Thursday.
Dr Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and managing director and group chief executive of Adnoc, was among the first passengers.
Once operational, the route, which was announced in November, will enable Adnoc workers to travel by train from Abu Dhabi to Al Dhannah, 250km west of the capital.
“The development of passenger rail services between Abu Dhabi City and Al Dhannah City aims to connect the UAE’s main centres of trade, industry, manufacturing, production, logistics and population,” said Dr Al Jaber.
“The Etihad Rail project is more than just a rail network, it will serve as a vital artery for economic growth and infrastructure development while driving decarbonisation, for the benefit of the UAE and its people.”
Etihad Rail's chief executive also commented on Thursday's journey and what it means to the UAE.
“Etihad Rail is strengthening the position that the UAE enjoys as a leading global hub within the logistics, transportation and infrastructure sectors, by providing more effective and reliable transportation solutions in line with the highest international standards and connecting cities and industries with a safe and sustainable rail network,” said Shadi Malak.
No date has been confirmed for when the UAE's passenger rail service will begin. But it was announced in 2022 that the first passenger station would be Sakamkam in Fujairah.
Etihad Rail announced in February last year that its vast freight network was fully operational.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, officially opened the freight line.
It consists of a fleet of 38 locomotives and more than 1,000 wagons.
All aboard the passenger service
The passenger trains will travel at up to 200kph and can carry about 400 people, linking 11 cities and areas across the UAE, according to details released by Etihad Rail in 2022.
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 time of 50 minutes between Abu Dhabi and Dubai and about 100 minutes from Abu Dhabi to Fujairah, cutting commutes significantly.
Plans for a luxury train service were also unveiled last year, the result of an agreement between Italian luxury hospitality company Arsenale and Etihad Rail.
The “rail cruise” is expected to cross the UAE from Fujairah in the east down to the Liwa desert in Abu Dhabi. The train will consist of 15 luxury carriages.
Tour of facility
Following the milestone journey, Dr Al Jaber also toured Adnoc's hub in Al Ruwais Industrial City
“I am proud of our world-class facilities in Al Ruwais Industrial City and the commitment and dedication of our staff, who are passionate to showcase our unwavering commitment to excellence and innovation,” he said.
“Our facilities and expert workforce play a pivotal role in enhancing our nation’s status as a responsible and reliable global energy leader.”
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
Healthcare spending to double to $2.2 trillion rupees
Launched a 641billion-rupee federal health scheme
Allotted 200 billion rupees for the recapitalisation of state-run banks
Around 1.75 trillion rupees allotted for privatisation and stake sales in state-owned assets
Zayed Sustainability Prize
The biog
Name: Salem Alkarbi
Age: 32
Favourite Al Wasl player: Alexandre Oliveira
First started supporting Al Wasl: 7
Biggest rival: Al Nasr
Paltan
Producer: JP Films, Zee Studios
Director: JP Dutta
Cast: Jackie Shroff, Sonu Sood, Arjun Rampal, Siddhanth Kapoor, Luv Sinha and Harshvardhan Rane
Rating: 2/5
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
More from Neighbourhood Watch
More on Quran memorisation:
The five pillars of Islam
HEADLINE HERE
- I would recommend writing out the text in the body
- And then copy into this box
- It can be as long as you link
- But I recommend you use the bullet point function (see red square)
- Or try to keep the word count down
- Be wary of other embeds lengthy fact boxes could crash into
- That's about it
The years Ramadan fell in May
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
LILO & STITCH
Starring: Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Maia Kealoha, Chris Sanders
Director: Dean Fleischer Camp
Rating: 4.5/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Company%20profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Homie%20Portal%20LLC%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20End%20of%202021%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAbdulla%20Al%20Kamda%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20FinTech%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EInitial%20investment%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Undisclosed%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2014%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ELaunch%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Self-funded%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
More on animal trafficking
Defence review at a glance
• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”
• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems
• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.
• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade
• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels
Company profile
Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
Based: Dubai
Sector: Online grocery delivery
Staff: 200
Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
The five pillars of Islam
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
