Muscat: Upon the arrival of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE for his two-day visit to the Sultanate, Oman Rail and Etihad Rail have signed a new agreement for establishing a new railway line connecting the two countries. 

Oman Rail and Etihad Rail will be establishing a joint venture to implement and operate a railway network linking the Sohar Port to UAE’s railway network. With investments upto RO 1.160 Billion (USD 3Billion), the railway route between Sohar and Abu Dhabi will ensure safety of the highest order adhering to international standards and as per environmental guidelines for freight and passenger transport.

The passenger transport speeds upto 200 km/hr and will cover the entire distance between Sohar and Abu Dhabi in just 100 minutes and 47 minutes between Sohar and Al Ain. The freight train will travel at the speed of 120 km/hr.

According to a statement by Eng. Abdul Rahman bin Salem Al Hatmi, CEO, Asyad Group, the joint railway project aims to strengthen strategic, socio-economic benefits between UAE and Oman.

Eng. Shadi Malak, CEO, Etihad Rail stated that this particular project lays foundation for more sustainable projects in the future between the two countries, thus intensifying the bilateral relations between Oman and UAE further.