A new passenger rail service is set to launch in the UAE that will cut travel times between Dubai and Abu Dhabi to just 50 minutes.
Etihad Rail, which currently focuses on freight transport, will unveil a new passenger railway network this year.
The network will connect 11 cities and regions through strategically located stations, forming the UAE’s first fully-integrated, national passenger railway system.
It will strengthen connectivity across the Emirates and provide safe and reliable mobility services for citizens, residents and visitors.
In early 2025, Etihad Rail announced the first four stations to be in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah and Fujairah.
It later added the remaining planned stations will be in Al Sila’, Al Dhannah, Al Mirfa, Madinat Zayed, Mezaira’a, Al Faya and Al Dhaid.
The network will become operational in phases.
The trains have been designed to offer a comfortable and modern travel experience.
Etihad Rail has revealed details of the UAE’s full passenger railway network
They will feature safe and ergonomic seating, contemporary interior designs, full Wi-Fi coverage, and individual power outlets at every seat.
Services will operate on a precise and regular schedule, providing passengers with a reliable and efficient alternative that ensures smooth and speedy travel between cities, free from road congestion.
Each train can accommodate up to 400 passengers.
Trains will operate at speeds of up to 125 miles per hour.
That means journeys between Abu Dhabi and Dubai will be as short as 50 minutes, in comparison to the current 90-minute bus or car journey.
Mohammed Alshehii, chief projects cfficer at Etihad Rail, said that the service will officially launch in 2026.
In its first phase, he said the network will connect 11 cities and areas that ‘have been carefully selected within key locations such as Mohammed Bin Zayed City in Abu Dhabi, Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai, University City in Sharjah and the Al Hilal area in Fujairah’.
He added: ‘Our trains have been designed to offer a reliable, congestion-free alternative for intercity travel, with a focus on reducing journey times.
It is hoped the new development by Etihad Rail will transform mobility across the UAE
‘Ten of the 13 trains in our fleet have arrived, where they have been tested and certified to the highest international safety and quality standards.’
He went on to say: ‘This achievement is the result of three years of intensive planning, design, and delivery, with total working hours reaching 24.5 million and the involvement of more than 7,000 experts and workers.’
Beyond mobility, the passenger rail network is expected to deliver wide-ranging national benefits such as boosting domestic tourism.
It will also support mobility, help efforts to reduce emissions, and strengthen social and economic ties between the Emirates by making the UAE feel more connected and accessible.
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New train to cut Dubai-Abu Dhabi travel time to under one hour
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