Ticket sales opened this week for Etihad Rail's new passenger service linking Dubai and Abu Dhabi, with trains set to start running on September 30. The Dubai terminus, Al Yalayis Station, sits in Me'aisem First near Jumeirah Golf Estates and connects to the Dubai Metro Red Line via a 400-metre elevated pedestrian walkway.
Comfort-class tickets are priced at Dh39, while premium fares cost Dh109, with the roughly one-hour journey putting the capital within easy reach for day trips and commuting. On launch day, the first train departs Dubai at 6:14am and arrives in Abu Dhabi at 7:18am, while the last return service from Abu Dhabi reaches Dubai at 6:47pm. Five round trips are scheduled for the opening day.
Etihad Rail is also launching a direct service to Fujairah, a roughly 70-minute journey also priced at Dh39. Al Yalayis Station houses retail and dining options including Starbucks, WHSmith, Lulu and a Thrifty car rental desk, and will later serve as a stop on the planned Dubai-Abu Dhabi high-speed line. That future line, targeted for 2030, will run at speeds up to 350kph and cut the journey between the two cities to just 30 minutes.
The launch marks a major step in the UAE's push to expand passenger rail after years spent building out freight infrastructure, and is expected to make daily travel between the country's two largest economic hubs faster and more affordable for residents and visitors alike.