Dubai to Abu Dhabi in 25 minutes? How Etihad Rail will fast track travel from 2026
Beginning next year, citizens in the UAE will be able to use Etihad Rail to move throughout the entire country. A destination marketer and currently part of the National Experts Programme shared on social media that she rode the train from Abu Dhabi to Fujairah, and her journey from Abu Dhabi to Dubai took only 25 minutes — a route that is usually completed in close to 90 minutes.
“[The Journey] was around 25 minutes from Abu Dhabi to Dubai,” stated Sarah Luqman when replying to a comment on her video about the maiden trip of the country’s train service which is not operational to the public yet. “Then [it took] around 90 minutes give and take from Dubai to Fujairah.”
Sarah was part of a group that traveled From Abu Dhabi to Fujairah to participate in NEP’s fifth module. The program is designed to enable homegrown experts from the UAE to contribute to the active transformation of the nation’s future-growth sectors and is currently in its fourth cohort.
In a recent meeting with Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Ruler’s Representative for Al Dhafra Region, a passenger train service in UAE by Etihad Rail was announced to begin in 2026.
A posted video by Sarah shows economy seats arranged in clusters of four with both tables and luggage racks running above the seats. This suggests that passengers may be able to access bag storage while seated in the economy section. The seats are light grey in color and look very soft, which adds to their comfort.
Content creators estimate that each train will have the capacity to hold about 400 passengers with separate business and economy class compartments.
The train features a monitor that shows the travel route and the current position of the train. Important details like the current speed of the train, the time, and the temperature outside are also displayed on the screen.
Some excerpts depict portions of the train that have been branded Adnoc Oasis. It is not clear if the convenience store will serve their signature food and drinks on the trains.
Last year in January, Sultan Al Jaber together with the leadership team of ADNOC undertook the inaugural Etihad Rail passenger trip from Abu Dhabi city to Al Dhannah. Sultan was reviewing the progress of several key ADNOC projects that were in progress.
Sights
As noted by Sarah, the trip offers “seamless comfort, world-class service, and breathtaking views through the heart of the UAE” which showcased the stunning UAE scenery such as the desert and greenery.
Al Mazrouei said earlier that the journey through the train would include notable scenery. “You can see different views and landscapes such as the Almaha forests and the natural beauty of Fujairah, along with several landmarks in the UAE which you wouldn’t be able to see while travelling by car.”
Last month, in a joint partnership with Etihad Rail, Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) opened a three lane flyover on Al Yalayis Street for traffic to improve the smooth flow of trains by “fully grade-separating the movement of trains and road vehicles.”
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