Source: www.7days.ae
It will be quicker to drive a car between Dubai and Abu Dhabi than use the planned passenger train, a major rail exec has said.
Shadi Malak, executive director of the commercial section of Etihad Railway, told 7DAYS that the train will travel at 200kph and it will take about an hour to get between the two inter-city stations before passengers transfer to city metro trains.
He added that the freight and passenger network between Abu Dhabi and Dubai has been designed to avoid having to dig up and disrupt major urban areas.
“The train will connect up with the Dubai Metro and with the future Abu Dhabi Metro but it will not go into the city centres and will avoid major urban disruption,” he said. He expects the Abu Dhabi station to be built somewhere in the outlining areas, such as in Khalifa City or Mussafah but the location has not yet been decided.
Malak spoke to 7DAYS after addressing the Abu Dhabi Conference 2012. He said the train will offer “a cheap price, comfort and safety” but said that people should not expect it to be as quick as driving a car between the two cities. More info
