Which Train Companies Does Emirates Have Travel Partnerships With?

Emirates partners with a number of airlines worldwide, offering passengers benefits that include an extended route network and more straightforward connections. Among the most notable partner airlines are flydubai, United Airlines, Air Canada, and Qantas, but there are also many more, reaching all corners of the globe from Emirates’ hub at Dubai International Airport (DXB).

However, Emirates also partners with several train operators throughout Europe and Canada, which allows passengers to include a train journey as part of their travel itinerary with the airline. Emirates’ booking channel allows passengers to search for travel to and from eligible rail stations, providing a simpler booking process. Which train operators have partnered with Emirates?

Canada – VIA Rail

Emirates operates direct services from its Dubai hub to both Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) and Montréal-Trudeau International Airport (YUL). When traveling with Emirates to or from the two Canadian cities, passengers can connect to train services operated by VIA Rail when booked as one itinerary.

Montréal-Trudeau International Airport has the convenience of its own rail station, while passengers at Toronto Pearson International Airport will need to connect to services at Toronto Union train station. The following cities are available to be booked as part of an Emirates itinerary:

• To/from Toronto Union Station – Ottawa, Montreal, Montreal Airport, Kingston, London, and Windsor
• To/from Montreal Airport station – Kingston, Ottawa, Quebec City, and Toronto.

Spain – Renfe

Emirates currently flies twice per day from Dubai (DXB) to Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport (MAD), and twice per day to Josep Tarradellas Barcelona–El Prat Airport (BCN). Barcelona is also the stopping point for the carrier’s unique one-stop service between Dubai and Mexico City (MEX), on which Emirates has fifth-freedom rights to carry passengers on both legs of the route. Flights operate with the following schedule:

Passengers traveling to and from Madrid or Barcelona with Emirates can take advantage of journeys on Spain’s national train operator, Renfe, as part of their itinerary. However, Renfe does not operate direct services from the two largest airports in Spain to other destinations nationwide, meaning that passengers must first connect at either Atocha or Chamartín stations in Madrid, or at Sants station in Barcelona.

Photo: Airbus

From these downtown stations, services are available across the country. Renfe trains will either have an EK flight number between 3090 and 3149 or a 9B flight number between 4000 and 4999. Destinations include:

• Seville
• Alicante
• Santiago de Compostela
• Málaga
• Bilbao
• Valencia

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Italy – Trenitalia

Italy has a wide-reaching and efficient rail network, covering the length of the country from north to south. Passengers flying with Emirates to or from Rome Fiumicino Airport (FCO) can include a domestic train journey as part of their booking. As well as plenty of trains from Roma Termini station in downtown Rome, Trenitalia also offers convenient direct services from Fiumicino Airport to destinations across the country, including

• Milano Centrale
• Lamezia Terme Centrale
• Firenze Sant Maria Novella
• Torino Porto Nuova
• Reggio di Calabria Centrale.

Photo: Soos Jozsef | Shutterstock

Eligible Trenitalia trains can be identified by an EK flight number between 3170 and 3195 or a 9B flight number between 7300 and 7999. Passengers who miss their train due to a delayed flight arrival can use their ticket on the next available service, although the onboard train manager may need to change their seat reservations in such cases.

UK – Heathrow Express, Great Western Rail, First Transpennine Express, and National Express

Passengers traveling on Emirates to and from the three largest airports in the UK can include eligible train and coach journeys as part of their itinerary:

• London Heathrow Airport (LHR) – Heathrow Express trains to central London, Great Western Railway trains across the UK, and National Express coaches across the UK
• London Gatwick Airport (LGW) – Great Western Railway trains across the UK and National Express coaches across the UK
• Manchester Airport (MAN) – First Transpennine Express trains across the UK and National Express coaches across the UK.

Emirates also has partnerships with the following rail operators across Europe:

• Germany – Deutsche Bahn when flying to/from Frankfurt Airport (FRA)
• Austria – ÖBB when flying to/from Vienna International Airport (VIE)
• Sweden – SJ Swedish Rail when flying to/from Stockholm Arlanda Airport (ARN)
• Belgium – SNC Belgian Railways when flying to/from Brussels Airport (BRU) and Amsterdam Schiphol Airport (AMS)
• Switzerland – Swiss Federal Railways when flying to/from Zurich Airport (ZRH) and Geneva Airport (GVA).

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Emirates is not the only carrier to team up with local train operators in order to offer passengers an extended route network and simple booking on the same itinerary. For example, United Airlines partners with Amtrak on services between Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) to New Haven, Philadelphia, Stamford, and Wilmington. American Airlines, meanwhile, offers connections between Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) and Brussels on high-speed trains operated by Thalys.

Have you taken the train as part of your Emirates travel itinerary? Which route were you traveling on? Share your experiences by commenting below.