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Etihad Rail passenger services: How much time will UAE commuters actually save?
As Etihad Rail prepares to launch its highly anticipated passenger services, residents will be weighing the train against two familiar options: driving and taking the bus
- PUBLISHED: Mon 29 Jun 2026, 11:05 AM
As Etihad Rail prepares to launch its first passenger service on June 30, many UAE residents will be weighing the time saved by taking the train against driving or taking the bus. For those wondering whether the new network will actually save time, the answer is yes, particularly on routes such as Abu Dhabi-Fujairah, where public transport journeys can currently take more than five hours.
We compared train travel times with typical car and bus journeys on key UAE routes to see where residents stand to save the most time. Here’s what we found out.
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Abu Dhabi to Fujairah
By train: 1 hour 45 minutes
By car: About 2 hours 20 minutes to 2 hours 32 minutes
By bus: About 5 hours 14 minutes to 5 hours 45 minutes, with transfers
This is the route where Etihad Rail fills the biggest public transport gap.
For drivers, the train cuts the journey by 35 to 45 minutes. For residents relying on public transportation, the difference is much bigger. There is no direct bus link between Abu Dhabi and Fujairah, so passengers must rely on transfers and long journey times.
With the new Etihad train, the two cities will be linked by a direct mass transit service for the first time. That makes the route useful not just for residents travelling between the capital and the east coast, but also for students, workers, families and tourists who do not want to depend on a private car.
Abu Dhabi to Dubai
By train: 57 minutes, once Dubai services begin from September 30
By car: About 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 45 minutes
By bus: Up to about 2 hours
On a congestion-free day, driving between Abu Dhabi and Dubai can be relatively quick. But during rush hour, road delays make the journey less predictable. A mishap, diversions or parking delays can easily extend travel time.
Whereas trains provide a clear advantage through their seamless journey. Once the route is operational, the 57-minute journey will give residents a fixed travel time, which could be especially useful for daily commuters, office workers, students and people travelling for meetings.
For bus users, the train will be a faster option. It will also avoid the uncertainty of road traffic, even if the bus remains cheaper or more convenient, depending on where they live.
Dubai to Fujairah
By train: 69 minutes, once Dubai services begin from September 30
By car: More than 90 minutes
By bus: Around 2 hours 15 minutes, and up to nearly 3 hours on busy days
Once operational, the Etihad train will reduce travel time between Dubai and Fujairah to just over an hour, compared with a car trip that usually takes more than 90 minutes. By bus, it can take over two hours, especially with waiting time, traffic and transfers.
This could make Fujairah more accessible for residents. A journey that may previously have felt like a long drive becomes a more manageable intercity trip. That could matter for weekend travel, family visits, work appointments and residents who want to reach the East Coast without taking their own car.
What about the full door-to-door journey?
The train may be faster between stations, but for residents, the real test is the full journey: getting from home to the station, taking the train, and then continuing from the arrival station to their destination.
Etihad Rail says passengers will be able to use its Journey Planner on the app to plan their trip from start to finish. This includes checking how to get to the departure station and how to continue from the arrival station.
When planning a trip through the app or website, passengers can see available connection options such as taxis, e-hailing services, buses, shuttle services, metro connections and walking routes, where available. The options will vary by station.
In Abu Dhabi, a Dh10 shuttle bus service will connect the Mohamed bin Zayed City station to key points across the capital.
This is also where ride-hailing integration becomes important. Etihad Rail has signed an MoU with Yango Group to support first- and last-mile connectivity around stations, including pick-up and drop-off zones and traffic management during peak times.
In a second phase, the plan is to allow passengers to book both their train ticket and their connecting ride through a single app.
Emirati Journalist