The displays are scheduled to run from 7pm on October 2 until 1am, illuminating the Mohamed bin Zayed City station in Abu Dhabi, Al Yalayis station in Dubai and the passenger station at Al Hilal in Fujairah. Etihad Rail said the shows form part of celebrations surrounding the official launch of its wider passenger network.
The event follows the opening on Wednesday of Al Yalayis station and Al Dhaid station in Sharjah, extending scheduled passenger services beyond the Abu Dhabi-Fujairah route that began operating on June 30. Four passenger stations are now in operation, linking Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Al Dhaid and Fujairah.
Dubai’s entry into the network creates a direct rail connection with Abu Dhabi and Fujairah. Al Yalayis station, located at Jumeirah Golf Estates, is connected by a pedestrian bridge to Jumeirah Golf Estates Metro Station, allowing passengers to transfer between the national railway and Dubai’s urban public transport network.
The expansion represents the second major operational stage of Etihad Rail’s passenger programme. The first scheduled passenger service departed Fujairah at 5.34am on June 30 and arrived at Mohamed bin Zayed City in Abu Dhabi at 7.19am. Etihad Rail said more than 10,000 tickets had been sold before those introductory services began.
Passenger trains can operate at speeds of up to 200 kilometres per hour. Etihad Rail’s fleet comprises 13 trains, each capable of carrying up to 400 passengers, with Comfort and Premium seating. Onboard facilities include wireless internet, charging points and luggage space.
For passengers using the new Dubai services, fares displayed on Etihad Rail’s booking platform start at Dh39 for Comfort Class between Dubai and Abu Dhabi and Dh29 between Dubai and Fujairah. The Dubai-Abu Dhabi journey is scheduled at about an hour, while the Dubai-Fujairah trip takes roughly 70 minutes. Al Dhaid adds another connection in Sharjah’s central region, with services linking it to both Abu Dhabi and Fujairah. Tickets can be booked through Etihad Rail’s website and mobile application, while station ticketing is also available subject to capacity on the selected service.
The company is rolling out the network in phases rather than opening all planned stations simultaneously. Its current timetable shows Zayed City and Liwa stations in the Al Dhafra region scheduled to open on November 30. Al Mirfa, Al Dhannah and Al Sila are due to follow on December 30, while University City in Sharjah is scheduled to join the network on March 30, 2027.
Those openings will progressively broaden rail access across the country while connecting the main passenger corridor with communities in Al Dhafra and Sharjah. Etihad Rail describes passenger rail as an additional travel option designed to improve predictability and connectivity between emirates rather than replace existing modes of transport.
The network’s September 30 expansion brought passenger trains to Dubai and Al Dhaid as scheduled when the national rollout was announced in June. The Abu Dhabi-Fujairah introductory route had already established regular inter-emirate passenger operations, with six services running on its opening day and a scheduled journey time of one hour and 45 minutes.
At Al Yalayis, integration with Dubai’s transport system is intended to make onward journeys easier for passengers arriving by national rail. The station’s link to the Red Line gives travellers access to the wider Metro network and connecting public transport services without requiring the rail terminal to function as an isolated intercity stop.
The passenger project operates on infrastructure developed by Etihad Rail, whose national railway was built first around freight operations before the introduction of scheduled public passenger services. The phased passenger launch is designed to add stations as operating sections and facilities become ready.
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