Inside Dubai's New Etihad Rail Station: A Comprehensive First Look at the Landmark Terminal

Etihad Rail on Tuesday offered a first glimpse inside Dubai's landmark train station before it swings open its doors to the public on Wednesday. Dubai Al Yalayis Station, next to Jumeirah Golf Estates, is the emirate's first stop on an expanding national rail network that is rapidly taking shape. Three months on from the historic launch of the UAE's first passenger line between Abu Dhabi and Fujairah, the Dubai station is primed to serve as a key commuter route linking the city to Abu Dhabi and opening up access to the Northern Emirates.

An Etihad Rail train service carrying media representatives set off from Abu Dhabi on Tuesday morning, rolling into the Dubai station shortly before 10am. From Wednesday, thousands of passengers will travel on the long-awaited route in a move aimed at strengthening the UAE's public transport network and encouraging people to leave cars at home to boost the environment and ease congestion. President Sheikh Mohamed and Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, attended the launch of Etihad Rail's station in Dubai on Monday.

Passengers entering the sprawling station will be greeted by a large rail map showing the present and future stops on a network that will boast ten stations by March 30. The map stretches from Fujairah in the east through Sharjah, Dubai and Abu Dhabi, extending to the vast desert region of Al Dhafra. Ticket counters are located on the ground floor, alongside electronic information screens and a large seating area for travellers.

There are two platform waiting areas, with signs directing passengers through the station before boarding. Retail outlets have been built into the terminal, with WHSmith, Starbucks and Lulu among those set to operate at the station, with a McDonald's store also on the way. The new station has direct access to the existing Dubai Metro Red Line via a 400-metre-long elevated pedestrian walkway. When the Gold Metro Line opens in 2032, the stop will become an interchange between the two lines.

The Dubai-Abu Dhabi service will connect Al Yalayis Station with Mohamed Bin Zayed Station in Abu Dhabi. Tickets are priced at Dh39 ($10.60) for "comfort" class, and Dh109 for "premium", with the journey expected to take about 64 minutes. Passengers travelling between Dubai and Abu Dhabi will have four trains operating between the two cities, with services operating in both directions. For the Wednesday, September 30 opening, passengers can choose between two morning departures: 6.14am and 7.14am. In the afternoon, trains leave Al Yalayis Station at 1.14pm and 5.14pm. The last one departs for Abu Dhabi at 6.14pm.

The new station will also connect Dubai to Fujairah. The Etihad Rail timetable shows one train running from Fujairah's Madinat Al Hilal Station at 11.54am (arriving in Dubai at 1.04pm) and the outbound service leaving Dubai at 1.57m, arriving in Fujairah at 3.07pm. Tickets are priced at Dh29 for "comfort" class and Dh89 for "premium" class for rail journeys between the two emirates.