A first ride on the new Dubai–Abu Dhabi passenger train
What the 64-minute trip is actually like, from a writer who has driven that road for 16 years.
Etihad Rail's Dubai station, Al Yalayis next to Jumeirah Golf Estates, opened on September 30, linking Dubai to Abu Dhabi by passenger train. Condé Nast Traveler's writer reports the trip to Mohamed bin Zayed City takes 1 hour 4 minutes at an average of about 200 km/h, through industrial zones, farmland and desert, and that a planned high-speed service will cut it to 35 minutes. Ten passenger stations are due to open by the end of March 2027.
Signal CheckA first-hand ride, the day after opening
How much is substance, and how much is paid or hype?
Condé Nast Traveler's writer, a UAE resident of almost 16 years, rode the train the morning after the Dubai station opened, which is the kind of practitioner experience the filter likes. One ride is one ride; the timings and service are worth re-checking as the network grows. Instead of driving between the two cities, the train is now a real alternative.
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Etihad Rail
After exploring I Took the UAE's New Train Service From Dubai to Abu Dhabi—Here’s What It's Like, the network it runs on is Etihad Rail.
The developer and operator of the UAE's national freight and passenger railway, set up in 2009.
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