UAE weighs Dubai -Mumbai underwater rail link plan: report
30 Nov 2018
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has proposed a direct underwater rail link between Fujairah and Mumbai that would allow people from either side to use a faster underwater mode of transport.
According to a Khaleej Times report, UAE is looking to develop underwater rail network between Fujairah in the UAE and Mumbai, which if realsed would allow resident of both nations to travel undersea.
While it would be a feasible idea, it is still in the conceptual stage and much home work would be requires at either end before such a project can be taken up for implementation.
The report also stated that apart from the rail network for passenger transit, there are plans to facilitate the exchange of goods from India to UAE and export of oil through a pipeline as well.
"This is a concept. We plan to connect Indian city of Mumbai with Fujairah through ultra-speed floating trains. The project aims to boost bilateral trade. There will be export of oil to India from Fujairah port and import of excess water from Narmada River, north of Mumbai. In addition, other GCC partners can also improve export and import," the report quoted the founder of National Advisor Bureau Limited, Alshehhi as saying.
The National Advisor Bureau Limited is a consultancy firm based in Masdar and is known as the breeding ground for start-ups. Alshehhi further said that many facts are to be taken into consideration for this concept to take shape and become reality. There will be a feasibility study of the project first to find out whether it is possible for such a rail network to work. The total rail network between the two cities will less than 2,000 Km, the report said.
This is not the first time someone has proposed an underwater rail network. Recently, the Chinese government approved a project to build the first ever underwater bullet train route in the country to connect Ningbo, Shanghai to Zhousan.