Work has commenced on the Abu Dhabi-Dubai high-speed rail line, which will slash travel time between the two emirates to 30 minutes.
The project is targeted for completion in 2031, Turkish company Kalyon Construction said in a statement.
The high-speed rail line project, with a total length of 150km, will include the construction of 97km of railway track, 11.2km of tunnels and four stations in its Abu Dhabi section.
Kalyon is part of a consortium comprising UAE-based National Projects and Construction and Trojan Tunneling, as well as China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC).
The tender was floated by Etihad Rail, the developer and operator of the UAE’s national railway network. It is developing a 900km passenger rail network in the Emirates valued at $13 billion.
Construction activities on the project are proceeding according to schedule, Kalyon said.
While existing railway lines in the UAE operate at speeds of around 200km/h, trains on the Abu Dhabi-Dubai line will reach speeds of 320km/h. It will be the country’s first high-speed rail line.
The UAE’s first intercity passenger railway service began operations between Fujairah and Abu Dhabi on June 30.
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The September service will connect Abu Dhabi’s Mohamed bin Zayed City station with a new station at Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai, cutting journey times to 57 minutes, compared to a car journey of 90-plus minutes.
Etihad Rail expects the wider railway network to generate more than AED200 billion in economic benefits by 2050, including around AED23 billion from tourism.
Analysts told AGBI last year the rail project is expected to be a major economic catalyst and could drive up property prices as much as 25 percent near the planned stations, as investors capitalise on improved connectivity and new development opportunities.