Pet owners now have a place on the UAE’s newest intercity railway. Etihad Rail permits domestic animals, dogs and falcons among them, to accompany passengers on its passenger trains, so long as each animal travels inside an approved carrier and the owner sticks to the operator’s baggage and safety requirements.
The rules around those carriers are specific. Each one must stay within dimensions of 55cm × 40cm × 23cm and remain beside its owner for the full trip. Only a single carrier is allowed per traveler, the animal must stay enclosed inside it at all times, and it counts toward that passenger’s carry-on limit, meaning no separate cabin bag can be brought alongside it. Owners are expected to keep their pets under control from departure to arrival.
There is a separate arrangement for service animals. Certified assistance dogs may travel too, but passengers must arrange this ahead of time by contacting Etihad Rail’s Contact Centre rather than simply showing up with the animal.
Beyond pets, the railway sets out clear limits on what else can and cannot come aboard. A range of items are banned outright, including weapons, explosives and explosive materials, flammable or hazardous substances, narcotics and illegal drugs, alcohol, and smoking devices such as electronic cigarettes. Personal transport gear is off-limits as well, covering bicycles, scooters, e-scooters and e-bikes. Anything oversized enough to block aisles or luggage areas is prohibited, as is any object that could threaten safety, disturb other passengers, or give off strong odors.
Families are given some latitude. One pushchair per child rides free of charge as long as it is folded before boarding, and the operator suggests wrapping strollers to guard against damage in transit. Passengers who rely on wheelchairs are accommodated as well, though the railway accepts only electric models with manufacturer-installed integrated batteries, and a dedicated wheelchair space has to be booked at the time of reservation.
The pet policy arrives alongside a service that only just began running. Etihad Rail opened its inaugural passenger route between Abu Dhabi and Fujairah on June 30, a journey of roughly one hour and 45 minutes on trains capable of reaching 200kph. That launch represents the opening stage of a wider passenger network the operator plans to extend across 11 cities and regions throughout the country.
