[Editor’s Note: Follow Khaleej Times’ live coverage as Etihad Rail begins first passenger service between Abu Dhabi and Fujairah]
The first Etihad Rail passenger train had pulled out of Fujairah’s Al Hilal City station at 5.34am on Tuesday.
Among the hundreds of passengers on board were residents who had not just bought a ticket; they had planned entire overnight trips, secured special company approvals, and woken up before dawn, all to make sure they were on this train and still at their desks by morning.
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‘We want to be part of history.’
Nihad runs a production company based in the UAE and said the idea to catch the inaugural train came to him while he was driving and listening to the radio.
“I heard this news Etihad Rail is coming for the first time,” he said. “We want to be part of history. Because it will never happen a second time.”
That same evening, he rallied a group of friends, drove to Fujairah, checked into a hotel, and took a taxi to the station at 4.30am.
After arriving in Abu Dhabi, he planned to take a bus and then the metro heading straight to work. “Then afterwards I have work,” he said.
Nihal, an assistant compliance manager, has lived in the UAE since 2015. His office is in Dubai. He had parked his car at Al Furjan the evening before; taken the metro to Al Qusais; met Nihad; and travelled together to Fujairah.
“Yesterday evening I drove my car to Al Furjan, then I took the metro towards Al Qusais. He came to me. Then we together travelled to Fujairah,” Nihal explained. He was also travelling with his father, making the occasion a family milestone.
When asked if he would be late for work, he said so. “We have already taken special approval from the company to be part of history, actually.” He added that he hopes the day will come when he can make the entire journey from Fujairah to his Dubai office by Etihad Rail without switching transport at all.
‘Instead of over 2 hours on the road’
Rawdha, an Emirati woman from Kalba, works in Abu Dhabi, and on Tuesday, the company called her to come to Abu Dhabi.
“I actually work on a project in Dubai,” she said. “Today they requested me in Abu Dhabi.”
For her, the train is not a novelty but a long-awaited relief. “Instead of spending two and a half hours on the road dealing with trucks and traffic, here I sit for 45 minutes and I’m done,” she said. “Of course it’s much more comfortable, and you can even get your work done on board.”
She confirmed she plans to use the service regularly for her commute between the Eastern Region and Abu Dhabi.
A new chapter for UAE travel
The Abu Dhabi–Fujairah route is the first phase of the Etihad Rail passenger network, with the journey taking approximately 105 minutes.
Tickets were offered at a 50 per cent introductory discount, with Comfort Class fares starting at Dh55 and Premium Class at Dh120.
Demand was overwhelming, with seats for the first day selling out within days of bookings opening.
The network is set to expand rapidly. Dubai’s station at Jumeirah Golf Estates and Al Dhaid station in Sharjah are scheduled to open on September 30, 2026.
Stations in the Al Dhafra region will follow in December, and Sharjah’s University City station will complete the initial network in March 2027.
As the first train pulled into Abu Dhabi, passengers were welcomed with traditional Emirati dances, Arabic coffee, and joyful moments – a fitting reception for a journey that, for many on board, was not just a commute but a piece of history they refused to miss.
