Keralite Nishad Becomes First Indian Captain for Etihad Rail

Kerala native Nishad joins UAE’s new passenger rail service

Nishad, 29, from Kerala, 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 launch its long-awaited passenger network connecting key emirates across the country. When the first passenger service departs from Fujairah to Abu Dhabi, Nishad will be in the driver’s cabin.

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 achieve this milestone.

How Nishad Started in the UAE

His road to this success was not easy. According to Mathrubhumi, Nishad moved to the UAE in 2014 and, like many expats starting over, took up any job he could find. He worked as a cashier, sold perfumes, prepared hot dog sandwiches, and also did delivery jobs while working towards a better future.

His big break came in 2017 when he got his first railway job with the Palm Jumeirah Monorail. This was the start of his career in the rail sector. After that, he worked with Dubai Tram, Dubai Metro, and later at Zayed International Airport, the report added.

There was also one setback that almost stopped his dream. In 2020, Nishad applied for a job with Etihad Rail, but a small mistake in his email address stopped his application from moving forward. He did not give up. In 2022, he applied again, completed the recruitment process successfully, and earned his place as a train captain.

Etihad Rail’s passenger trains will run at speeds of up to 200 km/h, cutting travel time between Fujairah and Abu Dhabi to just one hour and 45 minutes.

The railway is expected to carry around 10 million passengers every year once fully operational. The trains will have assigned seating, free Wi-Fi, charging points, fold-out tables, luggage space, extra legroom, and can carry up to 400 passengers, the reports stated.