From cashier to captain: Keralite to become first Indian to drive UAE’s Etihad Rail train

3 min readNew DelhiJul 5, 2026 09:49 PM IST

Etihad Rail's passenger trains will operate at speeds of up to 200 km/h (Photo: @etihad_rail/Instagram)

Nishad, 29, from Kerala, is making waves as he is set to become the first Indian train captain for Etihad Rail’s passenger service.

Hailing from Alappuzha, Nishad will be among the drivers operating the UAE’s newly launched passenger trains. His appointment comes as Etihad Rail prepares to roll out its long-awaited passenger network connecting key emirates across the country. When the inaugural passenger service departs from Fujairah to Abu Dhabi, Nishad will be in the driver’s cabin.

According to The Week, Nishad joins Emirati train captains Ibrahim Al Hammadi and Sara Al Mazrouei, who earlier became the UAE’s first national train captains. Nishad is now the first Indian to earn the distinction.

Odd jobs in the UAE

However, his path to success was anything but easy. According to Mathrubhumi, Nishad moved to the UAE in 2014 and, like many expatriates starting from scratch, accepted any job that came his way. He worked as a cashier, sold perfumes, prepared hot dog sandwiches, and even handled delivery jobs to support himself while pursuing bigger ambitions.

His breakthrough came when he landed his first railway job with the Palm Jumeirah Monorail in 2017. The role marked the beginning of a career in the rail sector, which later saw him work with the Dubai Tram, Dubai Metro, and eventually at Zayed International Airport, the report added.

There was, however, a setback that nearly derailed his dream. In 2020, Nishad applied for a position with Etihad Rail, but a minor error in his email address prevented his application from progressing. Rather than giving up, he reapplied in 2022, successfully cleared the recruitment process, and secured his place as a train captain.

The Week reported that Etihad Rail’s passenger trains will operate at speeds of up to 200 km/h, reducing travel time between Fujairah and Abu Dhabi to just one hour and 45 minutes.

The railway is expected to serve around 10 million passengers annually once fully operational. The trains will feature assigned seating, complimentary Wi-Fi, charging points, fold-out tables, luggage storage, extra legroom and a capacity of up to 400 passengers, the report stated.