Etihad train to link Abu Dhabi, Dubai by 2026, slashing trip time

Etihad Rail’s new coastal route will link Abu Dhabi and Dubai together by train for the first time.

Scheduled to start service in 2026, the train will whisk travelers between the country’s two major cities in less than an hour, providing relief from heavy car traffic and overtaxed buses.

The project will also connect the capital with the northern port of Fujairah in 105 minutes, shaving an hour off current travel time, The National reports.

Among the goals of the new train line is to ease access to the UAE’s full eastern coast and boost tourism to lesser-known towns and attractions.

Site operators are banking on the train to bring droves of tourists to visit the ancient forts and mosques that dot the rounte, along with,mountain trails, beaches and diving centers, the newspaper said.