Etihad Rail passengers can now rent a car the moment they get off the train. Thrifty Car Rental UAE has signed a five year exclusive deal with Etihad Rail to put rental counters at every passenger station on the network. Step off, pick up a car, keep going.
That last stretch is where most train trips fall apart. A station can be miles from a villa, an office, or a hotel, and until now there was no clean way to close that distance without a taxi queue or a ride app that may or may not show up on time.
Mostly people whose actual destination isn’t near a station. Commuters travelling between cities for work, especially where the office sits far from a metro or bus stop. Tourists who want to reach a beach or a desert spot a train can’t get to. Business travellers moving between Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Fujairah who don’t want to sort out a ride after they land.
If the “what happens after I get off the train” question has kept you driving instead, this changes that.
Book through the Etihad Rail app, the Etihad Rail website, or Thrifty’s own platform. Or don’t book ahead at all. Every one of the 11 stations gets a digital kiosk and a staffed desk, so showing up and renting on the spot works too.
There’s also a combined booking flow in the works, one where a train ticket and a rental car get reserved in the same session. Not live yet. Etihad Rail and Thrifty have said it’s coming as part of the rollout.
Right now: the stations already running between Abu Dhabi and Fujairah, since June 30. Dubai Station near Jumeirah Golf Estates and Al Dhaid Station in Sharjah open September 30, 2026. Al Dhafra, Al Sila, Al Dhannah, Al Mirfa, and Sharjah University City follow through early 2027.
Each new station is supposed to launch with the kiosk and desk already in place, not add it later.
About 500 vehicles to start, spread across the network. Thrifty UAE says it’ll invest more than Dh10 million over five years to grow that number and build out the systems behind it. Expect the fleet to grow roughly in step with how many people actually use it.
There’s also AI powered booking and support built into the platform, meant to speed up pickup when a train arrives and a lot of passengers want a car at once.
A train solves half the trip. The other half, getting from the station to the actual destination, is usually the reason people skip the train and just drive the whole way. Put a car at the station and that reason mostly disappears.
Dubai’s own public transport network handled hundreds of millions of trips last year, and combining transit modes instead of picking just one is becoming normal across the country, not only in the city. There’s more on what that ridership data shows in what Dubai’s public transport numbers reveal.
It also tracks with how tourism keeps growing across the UAE, something covered in Dubai’s tourism and economic growth.
More stations through 2027, each with the same setup. Once the network is fully running, Etihad Rail expects around 10 million passengers a year, so the rental fleet has to keep growing to match.
For anyone planning a trip soon: you don’t need to sort a car out beforehand. Book on the way, or after you’ve already stepped off the train.
What is the Etihad Rail Rail to Road service?
A deal between Etihad Rail and Thrifty Car Rental UAE that lets passengers rent a car at the station to finish their trip by road.
How do I book a car through Etihad Rail?
Through the Etihad Rail app, the Etihad Rail website, or Thrifty’s platform. Or walk up to a kiosk or desk at the station.
Which Etihad Rail stations offer car rental?
All 11 planned stations, starting with Abu Dhabi and Fujairah, expanding through 2027.
Is the car rental service available now?
Yes, at the stations already open between Abu Dhabi and Fujairah. Dubai Station and Al Dhaid Station get it on September 30, 2026.
Can I book my train ticket and rental car together?
Not in one checkout yet. Etihad Rail and Thrifty say that’s coming.
How many cars are available through this service?
About 500 to start, growing as demand and new stations increase.
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