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UAE’s national railway operator Etihad Rail has conducted a passenger train trial run on the route connecting Al Ghuwaifat station on the Saudi border and Al Faya station in Abu Dhabi in coordination with the Emergencies, Crises and Disasters Management Centre Abu Dhabi (ADCMC).
The trial run supports the continuity of vital services and provides safe, reliable transport alternatives amid evolving circumstances, ADCMC said in a press statement.
It said the corridor “is strategically significant as it facilitates mobility for both nationals and residents and enables the authorities to activate alternative routes in line with approved response plans.”
The operation of the route with Etihad Rail forms part of a broader package of measures implemented by ADCMC in coordination with relevant authorities to strengthen logistical security, in line with business continuity plans and multi-scenario risk management frameworks, the statement added.
Passenger railway timeline
The UAE’s first national passenger railway system, scheduled to start operations in 2026, will feature 11 stations and operate on the existing 900-kilometre railway network stretching from Ghuwaifat to Fujairah.
Initial operations will connect Mohammed Bin Zayed City in Abu Dhabi, Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai, University City in Sharjah and Al Hilal in Fujairah. Additional stations in Al Sila’, Al Dhannah, Al Mirfa, Madinat Zayed, Mezaira’a, and Al Faya in Abu Dhabi and Al Dhaid in Sharjah are scheduled to be activated in phases throughout the year.
The passenger fleet will comprise 13 trains, each capable of accommodating up to 400 passengers with planned journey times of 57 minutes from Abu Dhabi to Dubai, 105 minutes from Abu Dhabi to Fujairah, and 70 minutes from Abu Dhabi to Ruwais.
In October 2025, Etihad Rail and France’s Keolis signed an agreement to establish a joint venture to manage passenger railway operations.
In June 2022, Etihad Rail had signed a 1.2-billion-dirham ($327 million) agreement with Spain’s CAF Group for designing, manufacturing, supplying and maintaining passenger trains.
The freight component is already operational, serving 11 terminals including Ruwais Inland Terminal, Ruwais Port, ICAD, Khalifa Port, DIC, Jebel Ali Port, Al Ghail Dry Port, Fujairah Port, Ghuwaifat Terminal, Shah Terminal, and Habshan Terminal.
(Writing by P Deol; Editing by Anoop Menon)
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