Consortium Confirms Work Underway on UAE's First High-Speed Line
Construction has officially begun on the high-speed rail line linking Abu Dhabi and Dubai, according to Turkish contractor Kalyon Construction, part of the consortium building the project for national operator Etihad Rail. The line will be the UAE's first high-speed railway, with trains reaching speeds of up to 320km/h compared with around 200km/h on the country's existing intercity network. Once complete, the journey between the two emirates will take about 30 minutes, down from more than 90 minutes by car.
The Abu Dhabi section of the project spans a total of 150km and includes 97km of railway track, 11.2km of tunnels and four new stations. The consortium building the line includes Kalyon Construction, UAE-based National Projects and Construction, Trojan Tunneling, and China State Construction Engineering Corporation. Kalyon said construction activities are proceeding according to schedule, with the full line targeted for completion in 2031.
Project Builds on UAE's Wider $13 Billion Rail Expansion
The high-speed line is part of Etihad Rail's broader 900km national passenger and freight network, a $13 billion undertaking connecting cities across the seven emirates. The UAE's first intercity passenger service began operating between Fujairah and Abu Dhabi on June 30, and a new route linking Abu Dhabi's Mohamed bin Zayed City station with Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai is set to launch in September, cutting that journey to about 57 minutes.
Etihad Rail projects the wider railway network will generate more than AED200 billion in economic benefits by 2050, including roughly AED23 billion from tourism. Analysts have said the rail expansion could act as a significant catalyst for property markets near planned stations, with some forecasts suggesting prices in those areas could rise by as much as 25% as investors respond to improved connectivity.
