This will be an exciting new era for rail travel…

A recent G20 trade agreement could mean a new commercial corridor will connect Asia and Europe by rail, according to The National.

The proposed new line means that the Gulf Railway could eventually extend beyond the GCC to Europe including London and Paris.

The Gulf Railway is another proposed 2,117km railway system connecting all six GCC countries, although construction hasn’t begun just yet.

The Indian-Arab-Med corridor

Goods arriving in the UAE from India’s western ports can then be transported via rail through Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Israel, and arrive on the European mainland in less than 10 days.

According to The Guardian, officials hope the new corridor will not only reduce shipping times but also reduce the cost of use of diesel, making trade between continents faster and cheaper.

No, it’s unlikely we’ll be getting a train ticket to London anytime soon. But it’s certainly a step in the right direction.

This mega transport project will, of course, face some political and technical difficulties and we don’t yet know when construction is set to begin. Stay tuned to What’s On for all the key updates.

More raily exciting news for the UAE…

One of the UAE’s most ambitious travel projects is the 1,200km long Etihad Rail network. The massive project will stitch the seven emirates together but has plans for future ambitions that extend beyond our borders into the rest of the GCC.

The rail system will transport both cargo and passengers and as announced by Etihad Rail on February 28 – ‘The National Rail Network is complete’ and commercial freight operations have already begun.

WATCH: First look at the Etihad Rail passenger train

As for the passenger trains, we may have to wait a while but we are checking for updates from this project and posting important milestones here.

And that’s not all, in February 2023, Oman Rail and Etihad Rail struck an accord, partnering with Mubadala and committing to a 303km stretch of track that will unite the two GCC nations by rail, direct from Sohar in Oman to the city of Abu Dhabi (in 100 minutes) and beyond.

Images: Unsplash