His Excellency Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence, has boarded the newly launched Etihad Rail passenger train for ajourney from Mohamed bin Zayed City Station in Abu Dhabi to Fujairah Station.
Accompanied by His Excellency Abdullah Sultan Al Nuaimi, Minister of Justice, His Excellency Sheikh Nahyan was received on board by His Excellency Shadi Malak, Chief Executive Officer of Etihad Rail. The delegation toured the operational facilities and smart passenger services at both stations.
The national rail network signals a fundamental shift in daily commuting and inter-city travel. Passenger trains will eventually cut journey times between Abu Dhabi and Dubai to 57 minutes, and from Dubai to Fujairah to one hour and nine minutes. This cuts traditional road commute times by up to 40 per cent, allowing passengers to bypass motorway traffic while utilising onboard amenities such as high-speed Wi-Fi, charging ports, and dedicated workspaces.
The network is expanding rapidly across the emirates through a phased rollout. While the introductory Abu Dhabi-to-Fujairah route is now fully operational, the highly anticipated passenger station in Dubai is scheduled to officially open on 30 September. This upcoming launch will directly link Dubai residents to the wider national grid, with Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) already preparing integrated feeder buses and taxi services to ensure seamless first-and-last-mile connectivity for commuters.
Further network extensions will follow later in the year, with stations in Abu Dhabi’s Al Dhafra region set to open on 30 December, followed by the final completion of the Sharjah Train Station on 30 March 2027. Once fully completed, the network will link 11 stations and carry over 36 million passengers annually by 2030, transforming domestic tourism, trade, and daily commuting between the major commercial hubs of the UAE.