Etihad Rail reveals new UAE passenger train experience

Dubai: Etihad Rail has revealed new details on what passengers can expect when services start operating later this year. The passenger experience has been shaped around how people actually live, work and travel across the UAE today, offering a modern, comfortable and reliable alternative to intercity driving, while supporting the country's wider mobility and sustainability goals.

Deputy CEO of Etihad Rail Mobility, Azza AlSuwaidi, described the milestone as a shift "from infrastructure to experience," with a service designed to fit naturally into the daily lives of commuters, business travellers and families alike.

For regular commuters, predictability is the priority. A consistent timetable, guaranteed seating and a calm onboard environment mean passengers can plan their day with confidence, transforming travel time into something productive or restorative rather than stressful.

"Etihad Rail will offer a journey people can plan around," said AlSuwaidi. "One that gives them useful time back, rather than taking it away."

Business travellers will find an equally capable environment, with onboard Wi-Fi, power at every seat and spacious interiors connecting the UAE's major economic centres in comfort.

Families and leisure travellers stand to benefit significantly. The service has been designed to strip away the friction of long road trips, with no traffic stress, no navigation demands and no driver fatigue to contend with. Family seating configurations keep parents and children together, while generous luggage storage accommodates everything from weekend getaways to holiday trips.

Perhaps most valuably, the journey itself becomes time well spent. Without the demands of driving, families can talk, play and simply be present with one another, something increasingly hard to come by.

"Our rail experience creates a very different family dynamic," said AlSuwaidi. "Instead of focusing on the road, families can focus on each other. That shared time is one of the most powerful benefits of passenger rail and feels especially fitting given that 2026 is the UAE Year of the Family."

The network has been developed as a national service with a distinctly Emirati character. From station architecture to the onboard environment, the experience reflects the UAE's values of quality, safety and inclusivity, giving both citizens and residents a sense of pride in what the service represents.

International operational standards underpin the reliability passengers will depend on, while the broader vision remains deeply local.

"This is a service built to reflect who we are as a nation," said AlSuwaidi. "Safe, welcoming, high-quality, and designed to serve people for generations, reflecting where we have come from, as well as where we are travelling to."

With launch expected later in 2026, Etihad Rail's passenger network is shaping up to be one of the most significant shifts in how the UAE moves, not just across distances, but together.