Revealed on
October 7, 2025
Etihad Rail is about to rework journey throughout the UAE by 2026, providing a quick, protected, and eco-friendly different to conventional modes of transport. With its high-speed, sustainable practice community connecting all seven emirates, Etihad Rail won’t solely scale back journey instances but in addition decrease carbon emissions, contributing to the nation’s sustainability targets. The brand new service guarantees enhanced connectivity between main cities, offering residents and guests with a extra environment friendly and cozy journey choice, whereas additionally boosting the UAE’s financial progress.
Etihad Rail, the UAE’s pioneering nationwide railway system, is about to revolutionize journey throughout the nation by 2026. As soon as accomplished, the rail community will join all seven emirates, providing a quick, protected, and eco-friendly different to street transport. The undertaking, which is able to ultimately prolong past the UAE to hyperlink with the broader Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), is quickly shifting ahead with thrilling new updates concerning the service’s operations, routes, and buyer expertise.
Etihad Rail is gearing as much as launch its passenger providers in 2026, marking the primary time residents and guests will be capable to journey between the UAE’s emirates by practice. On the World Rail 2025 exhibition held in Abu Dhabi, officers shared extra particulars concerning the upcoming service, together with the onboard expertise, route community, and anticipated journey instances.
The brand new passenger trains could have the capability to hold as much as 400 folks per journey, providing areas for work, leisure, and studying. A number of day by day journeys are deliberate to attach key cities throughout the UAE, from Al Sila on the western border to Fujairah on the east coast, together with stops in main cities like Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, and Al Dhaid. These trains will run on tracks which might be totally separated from the street community, enhancing security by eliminating the danger of collisions. Stations can be strategically situated to make sure easy connectivity with native transportation choices.
In an effort to streamline the shopper expertise, Etihad Rail will undertake a “digital tickets first” coverage, permitting passengers to plan, buy tickets, and board the trains utilizing built-in sensible methods. Journey instances can be spectacular: as an example, the journey from Abu Dhabi to Dubai will take simply 57 minutes, and the journey from Abu Dhabi to Fujairah can be accomplished in 1 hour 45 minutes. Moreover, a high-speed rail line between Abu Dhabi and Dubai, which might attain speeds of 350 km/h, will scale back the journey time to a mere half-hour.
This formidable community is predicted to contribute considerably to the UAE’s economic system, with the high-speed line alone probably including as much as $39 billion (Dh145 billion) to the nation’s GDP over the subsequent 50 years.
Etihad Rail is a part of the UAE’s broader technique to develop an built-in transportation community that reduces dependence on oil, promotes sustainability, and supplies a quick different to street and air journey. As soon as totally operational, the community is projected to hold 36.5 million passengers yearly, providing a greener, extra environment friendly solution to journey throughout the nation.
The undertaking, which started in 2009, was initially targeted on freight transport, and by 2016, Etihad Rail was already operational with a 264-km freight route. This line, primarily used for transporting granulated sulfur, ran from the southern area of the UAE to an export heart within the western a part of the nation. By 2020, the enlargement of the nationwide community started in earnest, with strains connecting Abu Dhabi to the japanese and western borders of the nation. As of 2023, a number of strains have been accomplished, together with the connection between Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
The primary 4 stations for the passenger service can be in main cities: Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, and Fujairah. Nevertheless, the ultimate community will prolong to 11 cities and areas, together with Al Sila, Ruwais, Al Mirfa, and Al Dhaid, overlaying each the UAE’s western and japanese coasts. Whereas the precise places of the stations in Abu Dhabi and Dubai have but to be confirmed, it’s believed that the Dubai station can be situated close to Jumeirah Golf Estates, whereas the Sharjah station can be positioned near College Metropolis, serving each college students and vacationers. The Fujairah station can be situated within the Sakamkam space, close to the favored Umbrella Seaside.
Journey instances throughout the Etihad Rail community can be impressively quick. The journey between Abu Dhabi and Dubai will take simply 57 minutes, and a high-speed line at the moment below growth will minimize the journey to half-hour. The journey from Abu Dhabi to Fujairah will take round 1 hour 45 minutes, whereas journey to Al Ruwais can be accomplished in simply over an hour. In whole, trains on the community will function at speeds of as much as 200 km/h, making it a viable choice for each enterprise and leisure journey throughout the UAE.
Whereas passenger providers have but to start, Etihad Rail has been operational with its freight providers since late 2023. The freight community connects main ports and logistics facilities throughout the UAE, transporting a variety of products, from development supplies to meals merchandise. The freight service operates 38 locomotives and greater than 1,000 wagons, with a capability to move as much as 60 million tonnes of products yearly.
Passengers on the Etihad Rail community can be handled to a various vary of views, from the desert landscapes to mountainous areas. The community options 593 bridges and 9 tunnels, together with a 6.5 km stretch, guaranteeing easy journey by the nation’s diversified terrains. Vacationers may also be capable to take pleasure in spectacular views of the UAE’s iconic skylines, in addition to pure landmarks like Jebel Hafeet, the best mountain within the area.
Sooner or later, Etihad Rail is predicted to increase its attain past the UAE, with connections to neighboring nations within the GCC. Development on a line to Sohar Port in Oman started in 2024, and as soon as accomplished, the practice journey between Abu Dhabi and Sohar can be simply 1 hour 40 minutes, considerably lowering journey time in comparison with street transport. There are additionally plans to attach the community to Saudi Arabia, with a hyperlink to the city of Ghuwaifat, close to the UAE-Saudi border.
Etihad Rail’s broader regional ambitions embrace turning into a part of a $100 billion GCC rail community, which goals to hyperlink the Arabian Peninsula with high-speed rail strains extending by a number of nations. This might ultimately present seamless journey throughout the area, permitting passengers to journey from the UAE to Oman, Saudi Arabia, and past.
Etihad Rail is concentrated on providing a premium expertise for passengers, with trains outfitted with three courses of service: First, Enterprise, and Financial system. All trains will characteristic trendy facilities like Wi-Fi, charging ports, and workspaces. For these looking for a extra luxurious expertise, Etihad Rail is working with an Italian hospitality firm to create a “rail cruise” service, full with 15 luxurious carriages. These carriages will characteristic opulent interiors impressed by Emirati heritage, providing a degree of consolation and elegance that rivals the well-known Orient Specific.
Etihad Rail performs a key position within the UAE’s efforts to attain net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. The community’s electrification-ready infrastructure and energy-efficient trains are anticipated to scale back CO2 emissions by 8.2 million tonnes yearly. This environmental profit is equal to eradicating 300 vans from the street for each practice journey, contributing considerably to the nation’s sustainability targets.
Whereas the official launch date for passenger providers has not but arrived, Etihad Rail has partnered with the native transport authority to combine sensible ticketing methods, together with the choice to make use of the broadly used Nol card for ticketing. Because the undertaking strikes nearer to its official launch, extra particulars on reserving procedures can be made out there on the Etihad Rail web site.
Etihad Rail guarantees to be a game-changer for the UAE’s transportation panorama, providing a contemporary, environment friendly, and environmentally pleasant solution to journey throughout the nation. With its in depth community, superior expertise, and deal with sustainability, the service is about to rework each native and regional journey for years to return.
