Etihad Rail has begun passenger services between Abu Dhabi and Dubai, bringing the UAE’s national railway network into operation across four passenger stations.
The Abu Dhabi–Dubai service launched on 30 September, with the first scheduled train departing Al Yalayis Station in Dubai at 06:14. The service provides a rail connection between the UAE’s two largest cities, with the scheduled journey taking around 64 minutes.
The launch followed the inauguration of Etihad Rail’s Dubai Station on 28 September. UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan travelled from Abu Dhabi to Dubai aboard an Etihad Rail train ahead of the opening.
Etihad Rail’s passenger network currently serves Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Fujairah and Al Dhaid in Sharjah.
The Dubai station, known as Al Yalayis, is connected to Jumeirah Golf Estates Metro Station by a dedicated pedestrian bridge. The connection provides an interchange between Etihad Rail and Dubai Metro.
Passengers can also use Dubai’s Nol system alongside Etihad Rail services, with a single QR code available for journeys involving trains, Metro, Tram and bus services.
The network is being introduced in phases. Zayed City and Liwa are scheduled to join the passenger network on 30 November, followed by stations in the Al Dhafra Region on 30 December. Sharjah Station is scheduled to open on 30 March 2027.
The launch included 10 daily Abu Dhabi–Dubai trains, with five operating in each direction.
Etihad Rail also added six additional Abu Dhabi–Dubai services for the first weekend of October following strong early demand. More than 2,000 additional seats were made available across the extra services on 3 and 4 October, with three additional trips operating in each direction across the two days.
Etihad Rail is also running six daily services between Abu Dhabi and Fujairah. The Abu Dhabi–Fujairah passenger service had already carried more than 150,000 passengers before the Abu Dhabi–Dubai route opened.
