Etihad Rail
Etihad Rail (Arabic: الاتحاد للقطارات) is the United Arab Emirates national railway network. It was established in June 2009 under Federal Law No. 2 to manage the development, construction and operation of the United Arab Emirates' national freight and passenger railway network. Etihad Rail aims to link the UAE's principal centres of industry and population, and to link these centres with other railways throughout the Gulf Cooperation Council.
| الاتحاد للقطارات | |
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | 6 Al Multaqa Street, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates |
| Key people |
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| Locale | United Arab Emirates |
| Dates of operation | June 2009–present |
Owner | |
| Technical | |
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge |
| Length | 1,200 km (746 mi) |
| Other | |
| Website | etihadrail.ae |
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Etihad Rail is being developed in line with the Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030 and the UAE Vision 2021, which in turn contributes to economic diversification through strategic initiatives set to bolster UAE socio-economic growth and diversification.
Commercial operations of Stage One commenced in January 2016 on time and within budget. The operator of Stage One is Etihad Rail DB, which is a joint venture between Etihad Rail and Deutsche Bahn, Europe's largest railway operator, which was set up in 2013.
Since the signing of finance agreements for Stage Two, Etihad Rail has finalised routes and reserved Etihad Rail's corridors and lands by signing agreements with the relevant authorities throughout the Emirates, awarded all of Stage Two packages and launched constructions work on these packages.
As of 2024, while freight services are operational, there are no scheduled passengers services or a published timeline for starting them.