Dubai | The UAE is set to complete its passenger train service by 2030, which will include smart services that can reach speeds of up to 200 kilometers per hour. Smart services such as Wi-Fi, entertainment facilities, charging points and various food and beverage outlets will be provided on passenger trains on the Etihad Railroad.
A model of passenger trains on the Etihad Railroad was released by the authorities yesterday. The image indicates that the trains will be in red, silver and gray with the Etihad Rail logo emblazoned against the backdrop of cities, mountains and deserts.
It is expected to carry more than 36 million passengers a year. The train service, which will carry about 400 people, will connect 11 cities across the UAE from Sila in the west to Fujairah in the north. Some stations will be built in cities but it has not been announced yet. “We see stations as cities where people can congregate,” said Ahmed al-Hashimi, executive director of the Etihad Rail Passenger Sector. The stations will be environmentally friendly and will be part of urban development.
The Abu Dhabi-Dubai line will be parallel to the Emirates Road (motorway) and will not be too far from the Expo 2020 Dubai site to the junction between Maktoom Airport and the North Expo Road and Emirates Road. 
The railways will be integrated in some way with the existing public transport like buses and metro. Expect 50 minutes between Abu Dhabi and Dubai and 100 minutes from Abu Dhabi to Fujairah.
The freight service, which connects the gas fields of Shaw and Habshan to Ruwais, was launched in 2016. Meanwhile, the second phase of the 1,200 – kilometer road from Guwaifat on the Saudi border to Fujairah on the east coast is under construction.
