Instead of having to call a friend to see if they can pick you up or book a taxi for when you arrive at the train station, Etihad Rail will be saving you the hassle as they will be offering a door-to-door service.
Trains are great for allowing people to stretch their legs, take in the views and avoid being stuck in congested traffic, however the one global problem is figuring out how to get from the station to wherever you’re going, whether that’s to work or home.
According to Executive Director of Passenger Sector at Etihad Rail Ahmed Al Musawa Al Hashemi, Etihad Rail are aware of this issue and planning to provide a solution in the form of fully integrated transportation.
“As a passenger I want a service that will take me door-to-door and not just station-to-station. We are working with local authorities in every emirate to ensure a first and last mile solution to take people from the railway station to their final destination. This includes solutions of shared mobility, light trains like trams, buses, car rentals, park-and-ride facilities at the stations. To achieve this, we are looking at a high level of integration between railways and all modes of transport,” said Al Hashemi while speaking to Khaleej Times.
Over 400 passengers will be able to board the trains which run up to a speed of 200km per hour. By 2030, Etihad Rail is expected to transport over 36.5 million passengers each year.
Inside Etihad Rail
Etihad Rail will run through 11 cities and regions in the UAE from Al Sila to Fujairah, including Al Ruwais, Al Mirfa, Dubai, Sharjah, Al Dhaid, and Abu Dhabi.
Last month, the train service stated that over 75% of stage 2 construction is complete, and yesterday they shared a progress update of the rail mainline which is going to connect the Sharjah-Fujairah border to Al Ghuwaifat.
Al Hashemi and the rest of Etihad Rail must be listening to John Mayer on repeat because clearly they’re “never gonna stop this train” as the Executive Director states that the railway network will continue its expansion into new routes.
“We are continuously studying and safeguarding potential routes for expansion, to ensure readiness in the future in terms of the required infrastructure for developing these routes.”
Etihad Rail are expected to create over 9000 jobs in the railway and its supporting sectors by 2030 and reduce carbon emissions by 70 to 80% over the next 50 years.