Etihad Rail passenger service launch with 1,000-plus tickets sold day 1

More than 1,000 tickets were sold on the first day Etihad Rail opened bookings for its passenger services, a senior official has said, as demand builds ahead of the UAE’s first inter-emirate train journeys. Adhraa Almansoori, Executive Director of Commercial, Etihad Rail, said the figure refers to cumulative first-day ticket sales. The first passenger service, connecting Abu Dhabi and Fujairah, is set to begin on June 30, marking a major milestone for the UAE’s national railway network. Etihad Rail has also confirmed that travel agents can already book multiple tickets under one name from day one, while a dedicated coordination team has been set up to handle corporate, school and group bookings. The move is expected to open the service to organised trips, school journeys, tourism groups and companies looking to move employees between emirates. Etihad Rail has also hinted at future fare innovations for Dubai and Sharjah routes, particularly for frequent travellers and students. These would be separate from the senior citizen, child and infant discounts already announced for the Abu Dhabi-Fujairah service. Introductory fares for the Abu Dhabi-Fujairah route start from Dh55 and will be available for a limited period before the pricing programme moves to a broader fare structure. Almansoori said the Abu Dhabi-Fujairah route was chosen first because of the complexity of the terrain it covers, including sand and mountain sections. The route also allows Etihad Rail to test first- and last-mile logistics before wider passenger services are expanded. The network’s first two passenger routes have been designed around different user groups, she said. While the Fujairah route is expected to serve leisure and tourism demand, the future Dubai route is being planned around regular business commuters.