Dubai to Add Second Etihad Rail Station and Expand Public Transport Network

Dubai will be getting a second Etihad Rail station, a senior official in Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority confirmed to The National on Monday. The next passenger station will be in Dubai's Meydan and will connect to the coming Dubai Metro Gold Line. The timeline and exact location are unknown, but this confirms a map issued by the RTA when the Gold Line was announced.

Etihad Rail has “a future plan to open new stations – one additional station in Dubai, plus they have a plan to build a high-speed railway between Abu Dhabi and Dubai,” said Abdul Muhsen Kalbat, chief executive of the Rail Agency and a member of the RTA board. “One of the future stations is in Meydan. We've planned it to be integrated with our Gold Line station,” Mr Kalbat added.

The station will bring the national rail service much closer to Dubai's centre, increasing commuters' travel options. Integration is at the heart of future plans, the chief executive said. “We will provide not only integration with Dubai Metro as a mass transit system, but there will be integration between rail with buses and micromobility such as cycling and walkways. Integration is important to provide an excellent journey for the passengers,” Mr Kalbat said, adding that Nol card integration with Etihad Rail was ready to be implemented.

Mr Kalbat was speaking at a media briefing on Monday to announce a new rail conference in Dubai next year. The RailX Dubai International Rail Conference will be held from May 31 to June 2 under the patronage of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence. Mr Kalbat believes it will be a significant opportunity for regional and global investment, noting that globally more than $6 trillion will be invested in the railway sector, while the GCC has more than $200 billion in projects undergoing planning, design, or implementation.

The conference aims to make partnerships with firms from the East and West, with a strong focus on China. CRRC Corporation Limited, a Chinese state-owned rolling stock manufacturer, has already partnered for the conference. Moaza Al Marri, chief executive of the RTA's Executive Affairs Sector and head of the organising committee for RailX, told The National that partnering with global entities like CRRC opens doors to a wealth of companies in China to help achieve the conference's delegation target of 5,000.

Despite regional challenges affecting supply lines, the RTA remains committed to its rail master plan timings. The Blue Line is currently at 24 per cent completion according to Mr Kalbat, and will open on September 9, 2029. The Gold Line will open on September 9, 2032, expanding the Dubai Metro network by 82 per cent, with tenders to be released before the end of the year.

Mr Kalbat also spoke for the first time about the Airport Express line, which will eventually connect Dubai International Airport (DXB) to Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC). The 55-kilometre line will consist of five stations, traveling from the Red Line station at DXB through Al Jaddaf and along Al Khail Road, stopping at Jumeirah Village Circle's imminent Gold Line Metro station, before terminating at DWC in Dubai South. Tenders have been released for appointing an international consultant to start the study stage for the Airport Express line and the extension of the Red Line to Al Maktoum Airport.

With multiple rail projects in the pipeline, Ms Al Marri emphasized that public transport takes centre stage in Dubai's smart, autonomous, and fast future. She noted that the solution for transport sustainability is moving people from using cars to convenient, comfortable, seamless, and financially accessible public transport.