Etihad Rail Adds Weekend Services Between Abu Dhabi and Dubai, Releasing Over 2,000 Extra Seats
Etihad Rail introduced six additional train services between Abu Dhabi and Dubai for the weekend of October 3 and 4 in response to exceptional early demand, the Emirates News Agency (WAM) reported on October 2. More than 1,000 additional seats were released on each day, taking the weekend increase beyond 2,000 seats.
The additional services departed at the same times on both days: 12:14 from Abu Dhabi to Dubai, 13:43 from Dubai to Abu Dhabi and 16:43 from Abu Dhabi to Dubai. Tickets went on sale at 2 p.m. on Friday, October 2, and premium seats for Saturday sold out within two hours, according to Khaleej Times reporting.
Passenger services began on June 30, 2026 between Abu Dhabi and Fujairah, and expanded on September 30 with the opening of Dubai's Al Yalayis station and Al Dhaid station in Sharjah, linking Dubai into the national network. Trains operate at up to 200 km/h, the Abu Dhabi–Dubai journey takes about one hour and four minutes, and fares start at AED 39 in Comfort class and AED 109 in Premium.
For Chinese families and commuters living between Abu Dhabi and Dubai, the extra trains are a direct demand signal that rail is moving from novelty to schedulable commute. More stations are scheduled to open later this year and next under the network plan.
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：迪拜地铁列车进站，阿联酋轨道交通资料图。摄影：Shahroozporia，CC BY-SA 3.0，来源：Wikimedia Commons
