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Settling into a comfortable seat and watching the Hajar mountains go by is something UAE residents have dreamt of doing for a long time. On Tuesday, I got a chance to do that aboard an Etihad Rail passenger train during an exclusive press tour.

At some points, the mountains felt so close that I felt like I could reach out and touch the gray stones. At others, I watched the mountain peaks rolling by me with the city in the background. The trip on the train put into perspective what every Etihad Rail spokesperson had described — it was truly one of the most spectacular experiences.

Boarding the train from the Fujairah station — the first completed passenger station of the network — I headed to the 'Comfort' section. Each train is divided into two classes — 'Comfort' and 'Premium'. A sliding door separated each compartment of the train. Right next to the sliding door was space for large luggage items. There is an overhead luggage space in all the carriages as well.

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Before departure, there are announcements in Arabic and English that the doors will close, similar to the ones on the Dubai Metro.

Seats with charging ports, retractable hooks

With dark grey seats, Etihad Rail logos and moveable hand rests, the seats were comfortably designed. Each seat, as Khaleej Times reported earlier, had charging ports next to it. There are retractable hooks to hang jackets or bags on. The seats were arranged in clusters of four with tray tables in between them. At either end of the carriage, there are two seats tucked behind a cluster of four.

The Premium section have wider, reclining seats with a retractable tray table in front of them. At the center of the carriage, there are cluster seats with tray tables between them. There are reserved seats for pregnant and the elderly.

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