The UAE’s first national passenger railway is live: introductory services between Abu Dhabi and Fujairah began 30 June 2026, Dubai joined the network on 30 September — 57 minutes capital to coast — and more than 10,000 tickets sold before the first departure.
Introductory passenger operations began 30 June 2026 between Mohammed bin Zayed City station in Abu Dhabi and Fujairah — 1 hour 45 minutes, fares from Dh55 Comfort / Dh120 Premium, on trains of up to 400 passengers. The Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi inaugurated the station on 23 June; over 10,000 tickets sold before day one.
The formal network launch followed on 30 September 2026: Dubai’s station at Jumeirah Golf Estates opened — directly bridged to the Dubai Metro — plus Al Dhaid in Sharjah. The UAE President rode the inaugural Abu Dhabi–Dubai train himself.
Passenger trains run on the existing 900-km freight spine from the Saudi border to Fujairah, operated by the Etihad Rail–Keolis joint venture. Al Dhafra stations open 30 December 2026; Sharjah completes the initial map on 30 March 2027.
Next phases: extension toward Oman under Hafeet Rail, and a separate high-speed Abu Dhabi–Dubai line at 350 km/h cutting the journey to 30 minutes. A luxury Orient Express-style product with Italy’s Arsenale is in the works.
Abu Dhabi’s Mohammed bin Zayed City station anchors the network from the south side of the island city, with cafes, retail and international brands built in; stations are designed as interchanges — Dubai’s links to the metro by footbridge and shares a single QR fare with the Nol system.
Rail in the Gulf has always been freight wearing a promise; on 30 June 2026 the promise opened for tickets. Fifty-seven minutes between Abu Dhabi and Dubai does to the UAE what the Shinkansen did to Japan’s city pairs — it converts two labour markets into one commute. The 36.5-million-passenger target is the least ambitious number in the programme.
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