Chinese-built passenger railway debuts in UAE in boost to Beijing’s Eurasian ambitions
The whole 11-city network, including the global financial hub Dubai, is due to be completed in March, according to state media
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has started trial runs of its first passenger railway following project work by several state-run Chinese contractors, as China sees the project advancing its broader goal of connecting countries across Eurasia, state media and an analyst said.
Etihad Rail, which entered its trial phase on Tuesday, is expected to reduce travel times in the oil-rich country.
The railway service would begin on a section of track between the capital Abu Dhabi and the eastern emirate of Fujairah, a 105-minute trip, according to a Chinese official Xinhua News Agency report from the UAE.
The whole 11-city network, including the global financial hub Dubai, is due to be completed in March, Xinhua said. Media outlets in the UAE said the railway service would run 13 trains, each with enough seating for 400 passengers and speeds of up to 200 km/h (124 mph).
Xinhua projected that UAE railway passengers would number 36 million by 2030.
State-owned firms China Railway International Group, CRRC Corp, Power Construction Corp of China and China Civil Engineering Construction Corp took part in the project, Xinhua reported.