The emirate’s rules governing railway development have been changed, according to Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Dubai’s crown prince.
The building of any additional trains created in the emirate by third parties will be under the control of Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority under the new regulations.
The resolution delegates responsibility for network planning, development, and design to the authority.
The body is responsible for collaborating with the relevant authorities in Dubai and the bordering emirates on the integration of railway and other transport systems, according to the statement.
The authority is empowered to enter into agreements and contracts relating to railroads, in addition to being able to approve policies, plans, and programmes that have been submitted to it by its Rail Agency and the Safety Regulatory Entity.
The Rail Agency will be in charge of creating and developing the network, and the authority’s director-general will provide final approval to all proposed policies, plans, and projects.
Currently, Dubai operates two passenger rail networks: the driverless Dubai Metro and the Dubai Tram.
The UAE is currently developing Etihad Rail, which will eventually offer passenger services between Al Sila in Al Dhafra, Abu Dhabi, and Fujairah.
Passengers could use the network to travel from Dubai to Abu Dhabi in about 50 minutes and from Abu Dhabi to Fujairah in around 100 minutes. Eleven cities in the United Arab Emirates will be connected by the network.
The first passenger station is being built in Fujairah, but there is no specific date for when Etihad Rail’s passenger service will begin.
The service is anticipated to transport more than 36 million individuals annually by 2030.
Buses and the metro will be merged with the railway, according to prior statements from the national rail operator. Additionally, park-and-ride facilities are anticipated.
In a recent video of its network in Dubai that Etihad Rail posted, the company described the extent of the infrastructure supporting the project.
There were two bridges in the movie: Expo Bridge, which is around 319 metres long, and Al Qudra Bridge, which is more than 611 metres long and is located along the main route of the network.