The Dubai to Abu Dhabi Commute Now Has a 64-Minute Train, With More Stops Coming

Etihad Rail’s passenger service between Abu Dhabi and Dubai began on September 30, after Dubai’s Al Yalayis Station opened two days earlier. The first train left Al Yalayis at 06:14, and the scheduled journey takes about 64 minutes. At launch the line runs ten daily trains, five in each direction, and six extra services were added for October 3 and 4, putting more than 2,000 additional seats on offer during the opening weekend.

Dubai’s station connects by pedestrian bridge to the Jumeirah Golf Estates station on the Metro, and passengers can use a single QR code across trains, the Metro, trams and buses. Dubai’s Nol card also works with Etihad Rail, which removes one of the usual frictions of switching between operators when arriving in a new city for work or a short break.

The network is already wider than the headline route suggests. Trains currently serve Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Fujairah and Al Dhaid in Sharjah, and six daily Abu Dhabi to Fujairah trains had carried more than 150,000 passengers before the Dubai line opened. Next come Zayed City and Liwa on November 30, stations across the Al Dhafra region on December 30, and Sharjah Station on March 30, 2027.

The reports reviewed do not give fares or onboard amenities, so travellers planning a first trip should check Etihad Rail’s own booking pages for current prices and timetables. For anyone used to the road between the two emirates, the notable shift is that a rail option now exists with a published, fixed journey time and a ticket that plugs into the local transit network.

Sources: Railway News, Travel CTM