Etihad Rail’s passenger trains are running, and Sharjah has its first station. Al Dhaid opened on 30 September 2026. A second station, which Etihad Rail calls the Sharjah station and which is widely described as University City, is scheduled for 30 March 2027. Here are the official dates, what the Al Dhaid service offers today, what is and is not confirmed about University City, and what the rail link can and cannot tell you about homes in Sharjah. We forecast no price effects, and no source we found measures them.
The official timeline
Etihad Rail’s corporate passenger page gives the phasing: services began on 30 June 2026 on Abu Dhabi–Fujairah routes, Dubai and Al Dhaid stations opened on 30 September 2026, Zayed City and Liwa follow on 30 November 2026, the remaining Al Dhafra stations on 30 December 2026, and Sharjah Station on 30 March 2027 (Etihad Rail, Passenger). Gulf News, in an article last updated on 1 October 2026, lists the same dates and names the final Sharjah station as University City (Gulf News). Colliers’ Q2 2026 report also notes the start of passenger services as supportive infrastructure for the Northern Emirates (Colliers via Zawya).
As of 3 October 2026, treat all future dates as scheduled, not guaranteed. The Sharjah date has been announced but the station has not opened.
Al Dhaid station: what is running now
Al Dhaid is in Muragabat, serving central Sharjah, including Shawka. It opened on 30 September 2026, as Khaleej Times reported (Khaleej Times, 30 Sep 2026). Before opening, Khaleej Times reviewed the booking platform and reported (Khaleej Times, 29 Sep 2026):
- Frequency: two daily services each way to Fujairah and two each way to Abu Dhabi, at launch.
- Journey times: about 25 minutes to Fujairah and about 1 hour 24 minutes to Abu Dhabi.
- Fares: starting from Dh19 (Comfort) to Fujairah and from Dh59 to Dh69 (Comfort) to Abu Dhabi, with Premium fares higher. Fares and timetables vary by departure and may change.
- Station: open 5am to 11pm; 26 parking spaces including seven for electric cars; a bus stop about 50 metres away with three listed routes (ER1 to Al Madam, ER2 to Al Sajaa, ER3 to Jubail bus station).
- Dubai: the booking platform showed no Al Dhaid–Dubai trains for 30 September.
The practical point is that Al Dhaid serves central Sharjah, not the Muwaileh, Al Khan or Al Mamzar areas where most new communities sit. If you live or plan to live in those districts, today’s Sharjah station is not on your commute.
The Sharjah (University City) station
The second Sharjah station is the one that matters for the urban corridor. What is confirmed:
- Date: Etihad Rail’s corporate page schedules “Sharjah Station” for 30 March 2027.
- Location, as announced in 2024: WAM reported on 6 March 2024 that a design-build agreement was signed to connect the main track to the passenger station in Sharjah, which it described as near University City and giving easy access to important facilities and population centres. It said the connection would serve students from different emirates and expected about 14,000 passengers a day on weekdays (WAM, 6 Mar 2024).
What we could not verify: the exact site and walking distance to specific communities, the fares and service frequency, the Dubai journey time, and the feeder buses or parking. The Etihad Rail article we tried from 2024 returned an error, and the Gulf News date list is secondary. Ask Etihad Rail directly before you rely on any of these.
For context on where University City sits, see our Muwaileh area guide and the Muwaileh hub.
What a station does not tell you
A rail station is one input in a home decision, not a verdict.
- Distance and access. “Near University City” is not the same as a 10-minute walk. Test the route by car, bus and on foot at your commuting hours.
- Frequency. Two services a day each way is a leisure option, not a commuter service. Wait for a published timetable before planning around it.
- End-to-end trip. Add the first and last mile at both ends, and compare with road options. Our Sharjah–Dubai road upgrades guide covers the AED 750 million programme and its November 2026 target date.
- Price and rent effects. We do not know of standalone evidence that this station changes values at a given address, and we will not guess. Compare like for like, as in Where to live in Sharjah for Dubai commuters.
- Developer claims. Treat a brochure saying “near Etihad Rail” as marketing until you have the distance in writing.
Questions to ask before you choose a location for the rail link
- What is the walking and driving distance from this exact building to the station?
- Is there a feeder bus, and who operates it?
- What are the published timetables and fares to Dubai and Abu Dhabi?
- What is the parking or drop-off arrangement at the station?
- Is the handover of my building scheduled before or after the station opens?
Frequently asked questions
Is there an Etihad Rail station in Sharjah now?
Yes. Al Dhaid opened on 30 September 2026. It is in central Sharjah, in Muragabat, not in the Sharjah city corridor.
When does the University City station open?
Etihad Rail’s schedule gives 30 March 2027 for Sharjah Station. Press coverage calls it University City. Check closer to the date.
Can I travel from Sharjah to Dubai by Etihad Rail?
Not from Al Dhaid on opening day per the booking platform Khaleej Times reviewed. Service patterns will develop; check Etihad Rail’s app.
Will it make living near University City cheaper to commute?
We cannot say. See Living in Sharjah vs Dubai for how to compare commutes.
Before you rely on this: Dates are from Etihad Rail’s corporate page; Al Dhaid timetable, fares and station details come from Khaleej Times’ review of the booking platform before opening. University City location details are from a March 2024 WAM report and may have changed.
General information only, not financial, legal or investment advice. Transport schedules and fares change. Information checked 3 October 2026.
This site publishes general information and does not advertise specific units. Related market context: Sharjah property market Q2 2026.