Fact check: Mumbai to Dubai in 2 hours via underwater train?

A proposed high-speed underwater train project that could link Mumbai to Dubai in just two hours and cover the distance of nearly 2,000 kilometres is once again making headlines, following widespread coverage by Indian media outlets. While the concept sounds futuristic, it remains firmly in the conceptual phase with no official approval yet.

Abdulla Al Shehhi, Managing Director of The National Advisor Bureau Limited, told Khaleej Times the idea is still under study and has not received official approval. He emphasised that the concept is speculative and not yet ready for implementation.

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The idea first made headlines in 2018, pitched as part of a bold vision for an underwater high-speed rail network linking cities like Muscat, Karachi, and Mumbai. In addition, the route could also facilitate the transportation of oil from the UAE to India and freshwater from India’s Narmada River to the Gulf.

Currently, flights between the UAE and India take about four hours. The proposed train—designed to reach speeds of up to 1,000 km/h—could cut that time in half.

If approved, it would not only boost tourism but also offer travellers an alternative mode of transportation to flights.

Al Shehhi stressed that the project is a long-term vision that requires substantial technical and political groundwork before it can be realised.

(Note: This copy has been updated for clarity and accuracy.)

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