Etihad Rail has unveiled on Thursday the first high-speed, all-electric passenger train connecting Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Travel time between the two emirates via the high-speed train is expected to be 30 minutes. There will also be a regular passenger train that will be rolled out.

The high-speed train will pass through six stations which are: Reem Island, Saadiyat, Yas Island, Zayed International Airport, as well as Al Maktoum International Airport and Al Jaddaf in Dubai.

The national train will eventually travel throughout the UAE towards the border with Oman, passing through Mezeira’a, along Liwa Desert and its famous oasis. There will also be stations in Sharjah and Fujairah, and it will extend to the wider GCC, once the GCC Railway is operational.

The UAE National Rail Network is expected to add Dh145 billion to the UAE’s gross domestic product (GDP) over the next five decades.

Etihad Rail is the country's passenger and cargo train service which will soon be connected to the GCC railway network.

The will connect 11 cities and regions across the UAE, spanning from Al Sila to Fujairah, including Ruwais, Al Mirfa, Sharjah, Al Dhaid, Abu Dhabi, and Dubai. Authorities have already announced. The first one will be at Sakamkam in Fujairah and the second one will be in Sharjah, University City.

In February last year, the UAE announced the . The country launched a 900km railway network and began the operation of freight trains with a fleet of 38 locomotives and more than 1,000 wagons. Since 2016, Etihad Rail has been operating a 264km route, transporting granulated Sulphur.