Etihad Rail’s passenger trains are expected to include Wi-Fi, power outlets at every seat, overhead storage, space for larger baggage, and accessibility features. Once fully operational, each train will be able to carry around 400 passengers and travel at speeds of up to 200 kilometers per hour. On board though the experience doesn’t feel overly technical, theatrical, or futuristic. Instead the passenger experience is straightforward in all the ways good transport should be: clean, quiet, comfortable, and easy to navigate.
Our preview journey was short, traveling around 10 minutes from Fujairah Station to Al Bithnah Bridge before returning. From the window Fujairah looks different from the way it does by road. Farms sit close to the tracks, and open land stretches between low-rise neighborhoods before the route draws closer to the mountains and the view narrows into high, rugged walls of rock. We’re offered only a brief glimpse, but there’s something enjoyable about watching the emirate pass by without having to navigate it behind the wheel of a car.
Etihad Rail’s national network spans approximately 900 kilometers and currently supports freight operations across 11 terminals and 4 major ports. Passenger services are set to begin a phased introduction from 2026, eventually connecting 11 cities and regions across the UAE, with initial routes linking Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Fujairah.
Once the full route is running, Dubai to Fujairah may become one of Etihad Rail’s most interesting journeys. In about an hour, the same window may carry you from sky-high towers and sharp city lines to mountains, palms, farms, and landmark forts. It’s not quite time travel, but it does offer a rare compression of the UAE’s contrasts: the futuristic and the historic, the urban and the coastal. Passenger services are set to begin a phased rollout in 2026, when that hour-long shift from city skyline to mountain-framed coast will become part of the UAE’s everyday travel map.