Etihad Rail's New Passenger Routes to Link Abu Dhabi, Dubai & Fujairah

Etihad Rail unveiled the UAE’s first passenger train routes under the National Railway Network, linking Abu Dhabi’s Mohammed bin Zayed City with Dubai’s Jumeirah Golf Estates station and Fujairah’s Al Hilal City station. The project is set to connect 11 cities and key hubs nationwide, with initial operations scheduled to begin later this year and additional routes and stations to follow. Etihad Rail said the passenger network is designed to support economic growth, ease road congestion and provide a faster, safer alternative for intercity travel. Trains will operate at speeds of up to 200 kilometres per hour and carry up to 400 passengers. Projected journey times are about one hour between Abu Dhabi and Dubai and around 90 minutes between Abu Dhabi and Fujairah, with final timetables still in development. Frequent services are planned on the Abu Dhabi–Dubai corridor, while the Fujairah connection is intended to offer a reliable option alongside busy roads. The initial phase forms a spine from the capital through Dubai to the east coast, connecting the country’s main commercial centres with Fujairah. Stations at Mohammed bin Zayed City, Jumeirah Golf Estates and Al Hilal City anchor the first routes, with passenger services expected to start soon and staged expansion to bring more destinations online thereafter.