UAE: Etihad Rail Passenger Services — a joint venture between national operator Etihad Rail and France’s Keolis — launched the UAE’s first passenger rail route on 30 June. The 250 km journey between Abu Dhabi and the port of Fujairah takes 1 hour 40 minutes.
Thirteen five-car push-pull trains work the line. CAF built nine of them and CRRC supplied the rest. Both run at up to 200 km/h and offer three classes: economy, family and business. The contracts mark each manufacturer’s first rolling stock delivery to the UAE.
CAF’s trains pair five passenger cars with two power cars and seat 369 passengers. Built for desert operation, they withstand temperatures of up to +55°C, and each car carries a toilet, infotainment system and charging points.
CRRC’s trains seat 365. Eight independent air-conditioning units hold the saloon below +23°C even when it’s +60°C outside, and a three-stage filtration system keeps sand out of the air supply.
The route forms the first stretch of a planned 900 km network that will link 11 major UAE cities by March 2027, with annual ridership expected to hit 36 mln passengers by 2030.
