Railway to connect Emirates and Oman
The United Arab Emirates and the Sultanate of Oman will be connected by a railway that will reduce the travel time between the two countries to 47 minutes. It will be 303km long, with the first phase of construction connecting Abu Dhabi to the port of Sohar.
The agreement to begin construction was signed by Etihad Rail, the operator of the UAE’s national rail network, and Oman Rail. The new company will be called Oman-Etihad Rail Company. More than 11 billion dirhams will be spent on the project.
The state-of-the-art passenger trains will travel at speeds of up to 200km/h. The journey from Sohar to Abu Dhabi will take 1 hour 40 minutes, from Sohar to Al Ain – 47 minutes. In turn, goods trains will reach speeds of up to 120km/h.
The agreement was signed by Shadi Malak, CEO of Etihad Rail, and Abdulrahman Salim Al Khatmi, CEO of Asyad Group. The railway network between the Sultanate of Oman and the UAE will boost the economies of both countries, including facilitating the movement of goods and cross-border trade.
In the long term, the project will boost tourism between the two countries and strengthen their position as major regional export and import hubs. The creation of new jobs is also worth highlighting.
As previously reported, the Etihad Rail passenger railway will connect 11 cities and towns in the UAE and will carry millions of passengers by 2030. The first passenger station will be located on the east coast, in the emirate of Fujairah.
Passengers will be able to reach Abu Dhabi from Fujairah in 100 minutes, from Abu Dhabi to Dubai in 50 minutes and from Abu Dhabi to Al Ruwais in 70 minutes. The passenger trains will stop in Al Mirfa, Al Dhaid, Sharjah, Dubai and other cities.
The trains will offer various amenities and entertainment including infotainment systems, charging stations for mobile devices, snacks and drinks, advanced air-conditioning system and comfortable seats in first, business and economy class.
Source: Khaleej Times
Follow our Telegram Chanel
