Getting to Etihad Rail from Sharjah without a car just got a lot easier. The Sharjah Roads and Transport Authority has rolled out three new bus routes — ER1, ER2 and ER3 — all connecting different corners of the emirate to the Al Dhaid Etihad Rail station. Until a central Sharjah city rail station opens, Al Dhaid is the emirate's main rail gateway, and these buses are designed to slot neatly into the wider public transport network.
Here's how the three routes break down. ER1 starts at Al Madam Bus Station and takes about an hour and ten minutes to reach the station, with stops through Mleiha and Al Dhaid along the way. It runs 12 times a day, with the first departure at 11.20am and the last at 10.50pm.
ER2 covers Al Sajaa, departing Al Sajaa Bus Station between 10.55am and 8.55pm, also with 12 daily services. Stops include Al Batayeh 1, Dhaid Police Station and Al Dhaid Civil Defence before the train station.
The most direct option is ER3, which runs from Jubail Bus Station in Sharjah with no intermediate stops at all. It runs six times a day from 12.30pm to 8pm and takes one hour and 42 minutes — longer than the others, but the simplest ride if you're coming from the city itself.
For travellers, this matters more than it might sound. Etihad Rail is gradually opening up the UAE to car-free travel, and Al Dhaid sits in the middle of some genuinely interesting desert country. Mleiha, on the ER1 route, is one of Sharjah's best-known spots for dune drives, fossil sites and sunset desert views. Being able to reach the rail station by public bus means you can pair a train journey with exploring the emirate's interior, or simply connect onward without relying on taxis or a rental car.
The routes also signal how seriously the UAE is taking integrated transport ahead of more Etihad Rail stations coming online. If you're planning a trip that mixes Dubai or Sharjah city time with a rail trip across the country, the bus-rail combo is now a realistic option rather than an afterthought.
Worth keeping in mind: frequencies are modest — six to 12 departures a day depending on the route — and the later services on ER1 aside, most options wind down by early evening. Check timings before you travel and allow for the journey times above, especially on ER3 from Jubail, which is the slowest but most direct of the three.
If you're already in Sharjah and curious about rail travel in the UAE, this is the easiest way yet to see the new network in action — and the Mleiha stops on ER1 make that route the pick for anyone keen to add some desert scenery to the trip.
