PHOTOS: Taking a ride on Etihad Rail with top UAE officials

Several top UAE officials boarded an Etihad Rail prototype passenger train on Friday, embarking on a trip from Al Faya in Abu Dhabi to Al Qudra in Dubai.

The delegation included Deputy Chief of Staff of the UAE Armed Forces, Major General Sheikh Ahmed bin Tahnoun Al Nahyan who was also accompanied by a team from the Ministry of Defence.

The CEO of Etihad Rail, Shadi Malak, along with several senior officials from the company welcomed Al Nahyan and his delegation aboard the train.

Officials at Etihad Rail also briefed the delegation on developments since the launch of freight operations in February 2023.

Etihad Rail has transported more than 7.4 million tonnes of sulphur, and more than 2.4 million tonnes of aggregates across the UAE, according to a statement published on newswire WAM.

Upon completion, the rail network will also span a distance of over 1200 km. In future, passengers will also be able to use trains on the line where a trip from Abu Dhabi to Dubai, for example, will take just 50 minutes. The rail network further stretches across the seven emirates of the UAE, connecting Fujairah in the east to Al Ghuwaifat in the west.

READ MORE: Etihad Rail: 9 amazing facts about this growing network

The visit by Al Nahyan on Friday further included a tour of the Etihad Rail operations and maintenance facility. Pictured below are photos of the journey and tour.