Etihad Rail Dubai to Abu Dhabi train: stations, tickets and getting there

Is there a train from Dubai to Abu Dhabi now?

Yes. Etihad Rail runs passenger trains between Dubai Station and Abu Dhabi Station. Etihad Rail’s station page calls the Dubai end Dubai Al Yalayis Station, with the address Jumeirah Golf Estates. The Abu Dhabi end is in Mohamed Bin Zayed City, on the mainland, in the ME10 district.

Its journey planner showed 5 trains each way on every day from 17 to 24 October 2026. Each one took 64 minutes. The route card on etihadrail.ae says 57 minutes, so plan around the timetable figure.

The same network stops at Al Dhaid in Sharjah and at Fujairah Station in Al Hilal City. Etihad Rail’s route card puts Dubai to Fujairah at about 85 minutes.

Timetable between Dubai and Abu Dhabi

Direction	Monday to Friday	Saturday and Sunday	Journey
Dubai to Abu Dhabi	06:14, 07:14, 13:14, 17:14, 18:14	07:14, 08:14, 13:14, 17:14, 18:14	64 min
Abu Dhabi to Dubai	06:43, 07:43, 12:43, 16:43, 17:43	07:43, 08:43, 12:43, 17:43, 18:43	64 min

Times come from Etihad Rail’s journey planner for 17 to 24 October 2026. They change, so check your date in the app before you book.

The last train leaves Dubai at 18:14 and reaches Abu Dhabi at 19:18. Coming back, the last departure is 17:43 on weekdays and 18:43 at weekends. A dinner on Yas Island or an evening at ADNEC needs another way home.

Where are the stations, and how do you reach Al Yalayis?

Dubai Station at Al Yalayis

The station sits beside Jumeirah Golf Estates, south of Dubai Marina and inland from the coast. Etihad Rail lists these connections:

• Metro: Jumeirah Golf Estates Metro Station on the Red Line, about 1 km away. Etihad Rail gives its hours as 05:00 to midnight.
• Bus: the Jumeirah Golf Estate 1 stop, about 1.1 km away.
• Taxi apps: Uber, Careem and Hala.
• Parking: 260 spaces at the station.

From	Road distance to Dubai Station	Without traffic
Dubai Marina	about 14 km	20 min
Downtown Dubai	about 32 km	33 min
Dubai International (DXB)	about 44 km	51 min

The figures come from the OSRM route planner on OpenStreetMap data, checked on 17 October 2026 and averaged over both directions.

Abu Dhabi Station on the mainland

The capital’s station is on the mainland, about 27 km by road from central Abu Dhabi. A bus stop stands 30 m from the entrance, the station has 250 parking spaces, and Uber, Careem and Yango pick up there.

Etihad Rail runs its own shuttle buses from the station, at AED 10 a ride. They leave 20 minutes after a train arrives and reach the station 20 minutes before a departure.

Shuttle to	Journey
ADNEC Centre, Al Rawdah	about 30 min
ADNOC Headquarters, Corniche	about 45 min
Reem Mall, Al Reem Island	about 55 min

SeaWorld Yas Island lists a free Yas Express shuttle from the station to Yas Island as well. Our page on Yas Island theme parks covers a day at the parks themselves.

The last mile from Abu Dhabi Station

To	Road distance	Without traffic
Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque	about 15 km	14 min
ADNEC	about 17 km	16 min
Central Abu Dhabi	about 27 km	21 min
Zayed International (AUH)	about 29 km	30 min
Reem Mall	about 30 km	26 min
Emirates Palace	about 31 km	27 min
Ferrari World, Yas Island	about 33 km	29 min
Louvre Abu Dhabi, Saadiyat	about 36 km	32 min

The Grand Mosque is the closest big sight to the station. The Louvre and Saadiyat beaches are the furthest, so a shuttle to the Corniche plus a taxi can take longer than the train ride.

Tickets, classes and fares

Every seat needs a reservation before you reach the gate. Etihad Rail sells tickets through four channels:

1. The Etihad Rail app, which has the widest choice of fares.
2. The website, etihadrail.ae.
3. Ticket machines at every station, which sell walk-up fares and take contactless cards, digital wallets and AED banknotes.
4. The Contact Centre on 800 7245.

You cannot buy a ticket with a nol card or through TAMM. Sales close 5 minutes before departure, subject to seats.

	Comfort	Premium
Seat	Standard legroom	Wider reclining seat, extra legroom
On board	Power socket, USB, free Wi-Fi	Power socket, USB, free Wi-Fi
Food and drink	Trolley service to buy from	Drinks and snacks included

The route card lists Dubai to Abu Dhabi from AED 39 one way. Children up to 17 pay half, and infants under 2 ride free on an adult’s lap. UAE residents aged 60 and over get 20% off. The lowest fares cannot be refunded; Flex fares allow changes, and some allow refunds.

One online booking takes up to 9 passengers, not counting infants. Larger groups use Etihad Rail’s group request form, at least 3 weeks before travel.

Luggage and accessibility on board

The Passenger Charter sets these rules:

• Two items each, free, for adults and children aged 3 and over. Infants share the adult’s allowance.
• Carry-on bag: up to 55 x 40 x 23 cm, in the overhead rack. A handbag or laptop bag goes under the seat.
• Larger bags go in the luggage areas, and you must lift them yourself. The charter gives no size for a full checked suitcase, so ask Etihad Rail before travelling with several.
• Extra baggage is requested in advance, through the app, the website, the Contact Centre or a station.
• Not allowed: bicycles, e-scooters and e-bikes, even folded.
• Wheelchairs: reserve a wheelchair space when you book. Only electric wheelchairs with manufacturer-installed batteries are accepted.

Children under 14 travel with an adult. Arrive at least 10 minutes before departure, because the ticket gates close 2 minutes before the train leaves. Scan the QR code on your e-ticket at the gate, and carry an ID that matches the name on it.

Train or private car: door-to-door time compared

The train takes 64 minutes, but neither station is where most trips start or end. These totals add the drive to the station, 10 minutes at the gates, the train and the drive from the Abu Dhabi end.

Trip	By train, door to door	By car, door to door
Dubai Marina to Ferrari World, Yas Island	20 + 10 + 64 + 29 min, about 2 h	about 92 km, 59 min
Dubai Marina to Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque	20 + 10 + 64 + 14 min, about 1 h 50 min	about 108 km, 1 h 8 min
Downtown Dubai to central Abu Dhabi	33 + 10 + 64 + 21 min, about 2 h 10 min	about 139 km, 1 h 28 min

Car times are free-flow figures from OSRM. Weekday peaks on Sheikh Zayed Road add time to the car, and waiting for a taxi or shuttle adds time to the train.

The train suits a solo traveller with a cabin bag who lives near Jumeirah Golf Estates or Dubai Marina. A car suits families with suitcases, a group splitting one fare, and any return after the last train. Our private Dubai to Abu Dhabi transfer is quoted for the whole car, not per seat.

Getting to Al Yalayis, or skipping the station

Assure can drop you at Dubai Station for a train, or collect you there off one. Trips that start in Dubai run under our RTA licence. A pickup at Mohamed Bin Zayed City station needs a vehicle licensed in Abu Dhabi, so we confirm that leg for your date on request.

Landing at DXB with a train to catch? The station is about 44 km from the airport, and our chauffeurs meet you in arrivals with a name board on our airport transfers service. For a full day in the capital with the car waiting between stops, book a car with driver by the hour.

If the timetable does not fit, compare the coach in our Dubai to Abu Dhabi bus guide. Every option side by side is in how to get from Dubai to Abu Dhabi, and the wider picture is in our guide to road travel from Dubai.