UAE gears up for high-speed rail construction

Etihad Rail is making preparations to initiate construction on the UAE’s high-speed rail project, having invited contractors to express interest in the early works for the line connecting Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

The high-speed endeavor promises to significantly reduce travel times between the UAE’s primary urban hubs and economic centers.

Separate from the Etihad Rail passenger service, which will operate at speeds of 200 kilometers per hour (km/h) and share infrastructure with the UAE’s freight rail network, the high-speed rail services are expected to exceed 300 km/h. According to a report by MEED’s sister site Railway Technology, the world’s top ten fastest high-speed rail services include:

1. Shanghai Maglev: 460 km/h (China)
2. CR Harmony: 350 km/h (China)
3. CR Fuxing: 350 km/h (China)
4. DB ICE: 350 km/h (Germany)
5. SCNF TGV: 320 km/h (France)
6. JR Shinkansen: 320 km/h (Japan)
7. ONCF Al Boraq: 320 km/h (Morocco)
8. Renfe AVE 103: 310 km/h (Spain)
9. Korail KTX-Sancheon: 305 km/h (South Korea)
10. Trenitalia Frecciarossa 1000: 300 km/h (Italy)
The initial works for the UAE’s high-speed network will entail contractors clearing and preparing sites for actual construction activities, which typically involve earthmoving and the diversion of existing infrastructure or utilities in the area.

Preliminary site testing activities have commenced, with Dubai-based Matcon Testing Laboratory and Abu Dhabi’s Engineering & Research International conducting drilling tests to assess ground conditions along the high-speed rail route. Testing is underway in various areas, including the Jaddaf region of Dubai.

Spanish engineering firms Sener and Ineco serve as the engineering consultants for the project.

Etihad Rail has previously conducted feasibility studies for high-speed rail links in the UAE.

In late 2021, the UAE launched a AED50 billion ($13.6 billion) program aimed at establishing an integrated cargo and passenger transport system across the country.

The program comprises three projects:

1. Freight Rail: Incorporating Etihad Rail’s freight capacity.
2. Rail Passenger Services: Connecting 11 cities within the UAE from Al-Sila to Fujairah, aiming to reduce travel times between Abu Dhabi and Dubai to 50 minutes and between Abu Dhabi and Fujairah to 100 minutes. More than 36.5 million passengers are expected to utilize the system by 2030.
3. Integrated Transport Services: Establishing an innovation center to integrate smart transportation solutions into the plan. A light rail network will complement the rail passenger system to facilitate intra-city transportation.
These projects will complement existing and ongoing elements of the network.