Etihad Rail Opens Dubai Station Ahead of Passenger Launch
Passenger trains will connect Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Fujairah from September 30, with tickets bookable through a single QR code shared with Dubai's Metro, Tram and bus services.
Tariq Benali Tariq Benali covers business and corporate news across the UAE and MENA for Anecdoted, tracking the deals, leadership moves and regulatory shifts behind the region's companies. tariq@anecdoted.com
Etihad Rail has inaugurated its Dubai Station, clearing the way for passenger services to begin on September 30. The ceremony marked the official launch of the UAE's national passenger rail network. The station was opened by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, and Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of Etihad Rail, in the presence of UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
Before the inauguration, the President rode an Etihad Rail train from Abu Dhabi to Dubai, reviewing network operations and passenger services along the route.
From September 30, travellers can move between Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Fujairah. Comfort Class fares start at AED 39 ($11) and Premium Class at AED 109 ($30). Tickets are sold on the Etihad Rail website and mobile app, and through vending machines at stations.
A gateway for Dubai
Sheikh Hamdan said the station would act as a gateway linking Dubai with Abu Dhabi and the rest of the UAE, and that it improves connectivity and access to the emirate. Sheikh Theyab called the passenger network a milestone in the national infrastructure programme, describing how it grew into an integrated system connecting communities and business hubs in under five years.
Wired into the city network
A dedicated pedestrian bridge links Dubai Station to Jumeirah Golf Estates Metro Station, and the building is set up to work with Dubai's wider public transport system, including the Nol system. A single QR code lets passengers book and take Etihad Rail and public transport journeys across trains, Metro, Tram and bus services.
Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority welcomed the inauguration and highlighted the station's part in joining the national railway to the emirate's transport network. The station includes facilities and operational systems built to simplify ticketing, arrival, boarding and onward travel.
The ticketing arrangement is where the station's design does much of its work. Folding a national rail line into the Nol system and putting a footbridge to a Metro stop treats the train as one more mode inside Dubai rather than a service with its own rules. That matters for anyone weighing a commute that starts in Abu Dhabi and finishes on a bus or the Metro.
Who operates the service
Trains will be run by Etihad Rail Mobility, a joint venture between Etihad Rail and Keolis, an international passenger transport operator. The partnership pairs Etihad Rail's national transport capabilities with Keolis' experience in rail and passenger operations.
Etihad Rail said the network is designed to strengthen connections between the emirates and to widen access to economic and social opportunities. It also said the launch is the next stage of an expansion intended to reach more cities and regions, with tickets already on sale through its digital channels and station vending machines.
