Crown Prince Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed inaugurated Mohamed bin Zayed station in Abu Dhabi on 23 June, ahead of the country’s first public passenger service, due to start on 30 June.
Etihad Rail will initially operate three daily return workings non-stop between Abu Dhabi and Fujairah, with a journey time of 1 h 59 min, except the 05.34 departure from Fujairah, scheduled at 2 h 11 min. Tickets are on sale with a 50% introductory discount: AED 55 in Comfort and AED 120 in Premium, with surcharges for seat selection, changes and refunds.
The network will be progressively expanded: intermediate stations at Dubai Jumeirah Golf Estates and Sharjah Al Dhaid will open on 30 September; Al Dhafra on 30 December; and Sharjah University City on 30 March 2027. These stops are located on branches off the main line, requiring reversal manoeuvres.
Operations are undertaken by a 50:50 joint venture between Etihad Rail and Keolis (contract awarded in October 2025). Services will use nine seven-car diesel multiple units from CAF and four five-car sets from CRRC. Forecast demand is 10 million passengers per year.