From Dubai Station to your hotel.

What is running, and what to check

Etihad Rail’s own website showed on 29 October 2026 that passenger trains were running. Its booking form offers four stations: Abu Dhabi, Al Dhaid, Dubai and Fujairah. Its live schedule that day listed services between Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Fujairah. Press reports say Dubai’s station opened for services on 30 September 2026.

We do not state how often trains run, or when the first and last ones leave, because the timetable changes by date. Check the schedule before you travel. We do not sell train tickets and we are not the rail operator; book your seats on Etihad Rail’s own site. We take over from the platform.

Where the station is

The operator calls it Dubai Station and gives its location as Jumeirah Golf Estates. The press often calls it Al Yalayis. Reports place it near Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road. It is a long way from Deira and Old Dubai, and much closer to the Marina and JBR.

The operator’s station page lists a car park, a Metro connection, a bus stop, a taxi and e-hailing area, a pick-up and drop-off area, car rental and a prayer room. We found no published rule on whether a coach or minibus may use the pick-up area, so your written quote states where your driver meets you.

The Metro option, said honestly

The operator lists a transfer bridge to the Metro at Dubai Station, and press reports describe a covered walk of about 400 m, roughly five minutes, opened on 15 October 2026. The Metro station is Jumeirah Golf Estates, on the Red Line. Reports also mention a feeder bus, route F38, to Dubai Production City and Dubai Sports City.

For one or two people with a rucksack, the Metro is a sensible choice. Gulf News, quoting the rail operator, reports that its rail connection promise does not cover other services such as the Metro, so a delay on one leg is yours to absorb. For a group with large cases, a pre-booked vehicle waits for you at an agreed point instead. That is the only case we make for it.

Drive times from Dubai Station

These are approximate drive times from OpenStreetMap routing, with no traffic. Our start point is the station’s location on Al Yalayis Street. Allow more at peak times.

Notice the shape. The Marina and JBR are the closest stays, and Downtown and the old centre are further than the station’s name might suggest. If your hotel is in Deira, Old Dubai or Downtown, the train route adds a road leg that your plan should count. For drive times from the airports to the same areas, see how far Dubai Airport is from your hotel.

Planning a group arrival by train

• Give us the train number, the arrival time on your ticket and the hotel. If your train changes, tell us as early as you can.
• Count bags as well as people. A medium suitcase is the unit we use; see how many suitcases fit in each vehicle.
• Match the vehicle: up to 7 in the Mercedes V-Class (6 bags), up to 13 in the 13-seater van (about 10 bags), up to 16 in the Mercedes Sprinter (about 12 bags).
• Bigger parties: the 30-seater mini coach carries about 20 bags and the 50-seater coach about 50.

Ask for a fixed written quote through the booking page.

Coming in from Abu Dhabi or Fujairah

Press reports put the Abu Dhabi to Dubai journey at about an hour. The operator’s Abu Dhabi and Fujairah stations also list pick-up areas, taxi areas and prayer rooms. If you arrive from the Abu Dhabi side and your hotel is on Yas Island or the Corniche, a train may not be the right leg at all; our Abu Dhabi transfers page covers a road run. For Fujairah, see the Dubai to Fujairah transfer.

Arriving before your room is ready

The operator lists station hours of 05:00 to 23:00 every day, so an early arrival is possible. A hotel may not release rooms until the afternoon, though. Ask the hotel for bag storage or early check-in in writing before you travel. If it cannot help, the group can leave bags on board and spend the morning with the same driver on an hourly booking, or book a half day of sights with a private minibus. We do not claim a time for hotel check-in, since each hotel sets its own.

The station also lists a prayer room, which is useful to know if anyone in your group wants one before the road leg. Rooms and rules are the operator’s, so check on arrival.

If you also need the airport

The train does not go to the airports. A traveller who flies into Dubai, rides to Abu Dhabi and returns by train still needs a road leg from the station to DXB, about 30 to 40 minutes without traffic. See the group airport transfer page. Entry rules depend on your passport; check the official UAE government visa page.

Related: Dubai airport transfer for groups · How far is Dubai Airport from your hotel area · How many suitcases fit in each vehicle · Abu Dhabi & Intercity · Dubai to Fujairah · Abu Dhabi GP by train or private vehicle · Get a quote

Keep reading

• Abu Dhabi GP by train or private vehicle: Etihad Rail or a private vehicle from Dubai to the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix: the 64-minute train, the Yas Express link announced on 21 October, the last mile and group size.
• Downtown and Business Bay hotels to the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix: Downtown Dubai or Business Bay to the 2026 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix: Etihad Rail compared with a private vehicle, with the facts each side rests on and who each one suits.
• Dubai Airport to your hotel: Metro, bus, taxi rank, app ride, hotel transfer or a driver in arrivals: how to reach your hotel from DXB, area by area.
• Marina and JBR hotels to GITEX at Expo City: Staying in Dubai Marina or JBR for GITEX Global 2026: the run to Expo City, the daily timing, Metro or private vehicle, and getting back after a late finish.
• Dubai Airport to Downtown Dubai: From DXB to Downtown, Business Bay and DIFC hotels: the crossings, the rush hours, the drop-off at each tower and a vehicle sized to your bags.
• How far is Dubai Airport from your hotel area: One table of the drive from Dubai International (and Al Maktoum) to the main hotel areas, with peak-hour margins and what the Metro does.