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Look: Dubai’s longest rail bridge over Al Qudra takes shape

Once Etihad Rail is up and running, this route will be key to facilitating the movement of goods throughout the UAE

Published: Tue 24 Jan 2023, 2:27 PM

Updated: Tue 24 Jan 2023, 2:33 PM

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Photo courtesy: Twitter

Photo courtesy: Twitter

Dubai’s longest rail bridge is now up and standing. Etihad Rail posted images of the Al Qudra bridge, which is the “longest within the Emirate’s mainline network”.

It forms a vital route for trade and commerce to facilitate the “movement of goods throughout the UAE”, the rail operator posted on Twitter.

Al Qudra features a cluster of man-made lakes and is home to an 86km cycling track. Earlier, residents of neighbourhoods around the area had told Khaleej Times about their excitement in spotting trains.

Rineesha Mohammed Ali, who lives in Nshama Town Square, has seen the train track take shape from her house. “The location is a constant hive of activity,” she said. “It is actually quite exciting to watch the whole thing take shape. Sometimes if you are lucky enough to look out of the window at the right time, you can see locomotives on the tracks.”

Last week, Etihad Rail had offered a glimpse into its 1km marine bridge that connects the Khalifa port to the national railway network. “This will improve the efficiency of goods transportation and cuts down on shipping expenses,” it posted.

Last year, the rail reached several milestones, including a 75 per cent completion of its 1,200km long network. Etihad Rail’s passenger services will connect 11 cities in the UAE. With top speeds of 200kmph, passengers can travel from Abu Dhabi to Dubai in 50 minutes, and from Abu Dhabi to Fujairah in 100. The trains are expected to reduce commute times by up to 40 per cent. By 2030, the number of passengers is expected to reach more than 36.5 million annually.

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