Peak-hour Etihad Rail tickets cost up to Dh40 more

Those booking tickets on the Etihad Rail over the weekend may have noticed a surcharge of up to Dh40 on ticket rates. Now, Etihad Rail has confirmed that it applies a flexible pricing system based on demand.

In a statement to Emarat Al Youm, the rail authority confirmed that the prices for its seats in the comfort and premium class are hiked when the demand is high. The booking platforms of Etihad Rail showed prices for some of its trains between Dubai and Abu Dhabi hiked by up to Dh40 during peak hours. On Sunday, October 11, the ticket rates on the Premium class of the train leaving Dubai at 5.14pm is Dh149, as opposed to the off peak rate of Dh109. There is only one seat remaining in that cabin. The seats on the Comfort class of this train are selling at Dh59.

Other seats during the weekend between the emirates are selling for rates between Dh49 and Dh149. Several cabins have been sold out for the upcoming weekend. According to Etihad Rail, the ticket prices are directly affected by the volume of demand, peak times and the availability of seats on board the trains, in order to regulate the flow of passengers and encourage advance bookings. Last weekend, six new trains were introduced to meet the high demand.

Etihad Rail began passenger services between Dubai’s Al Yalayis station in Jumeirah Gold Estate and Abu Dhabi’s Mohamed bin Zayed station on September 30. The trip takes about one hour and four minutes and has ten direct services that run daily between the two emirates.

Passenger services on the country’s first rail network began between Abu Dhabi and Fujairah on June 30. The network then expanded to include Dubai and Al Dhaid last month. According to a spokesperson, the network’s Liwa station is expected to open before the popular Liwa festival begins on December 11.