Union station (R18/G20) is the hinge of the Dubai Metro: the larger of the two Red-Green interchanges, buried under Union Square in Deira, and one of the biggest underground stations in the region by floor area. If your journey involves both lines, odds are it happens here. Fare zone 5, underground, with entrances spread around the square.
Changing lines without losing your head
The interchange is a straightforward escalator hop between stacked platform levels, inside the paid area – no gates, no re-tapping, no extra fare. Signage is color-coded: follow the red or green line roundels to your platform. Two direction checks save wrong-way rides: on the Red Line, Centrepoint means airport/Rashidiya and Expo 2020 / Life Pharmacy means Downtown and beyond; on the Green Line, e& means Qusais/Sharjah side and Creek means the souqs, Al Fahidi and Healthcare City.
When to change here vs BurJuman
Rule of thumb: Union wins for the airport side, BurJuman wins for the Downtown side. Coming from the airport and heading to the Green Line’s souq stretch, change at Union – it is sooner and the transfer is shorter. Coming from Downtown, Mall of the Emirates or the Marina toward Bur Dubai and the Green Line, stay on until BurJuman instead; changing at Union from that direction means backtracking.
Above ground: Deira’s crossroads
You surface at Union Square park, with Naif Souq a ten-minute walk, Al Ghurair Centre slightly further, and the Rigga dining strip one stop (or a pleasant walk) away. This is workaday Deira – gold-souq tourists usually stay on the Green Line two more stops, but the area around Union is one of the best cheap-eats districts in the city, especially the lanes toward Al Rigga.
Local tips
- Peak crush is real here: 7:30-9:00 AM and 5:30-7:30 PM push serious volumes through the interchange escalators. With luggage, avoid those windows or budget patience.
- Last-train transfers: the connecting line’s final service can leave before yours arrives late at night – for any post-23:00 journey involving a change at Union, treat 30 minutes before close as your real deadline.
- Multiple exits matter: Union Square exits are spread wide; if meeting someone, agree on a landmark (the park side vs the Al Maktoum Road side), not just “Union station”.
- Zone note: Union sits in zone 5 with the rest of Deira – crossing to BurJuman (zone 6) makes even a one-stop hop a 2-zone fare.
Changing lines without losing your head
Union is the hinge of the Dubai Metro – the larger of the two Red-Green interchanges, buried under Union Square in Deira, and one of the busiest stations on the network. The interchange is a straightforward escalator hop between stacked platform levels, inside the paid area, with no gates, no re-tapping and no extra fare, and the signage is colour-coded so you follow the red or green roundels to your platform. Two direction checks save wrong-way rides: on the Red Line, Centrepoint means the airport and Rashidiya while Expo 2020 or Life Pharmacy means Downtown and beyond; on the Green Line, e& means the Qusais and Sharjah side while Creek means the souqs, Al Fahidi and Healthcare City.
When to change here versus BurJuman
The rule of thumb: Union wins for the airport side, BurJuman for the Downtown side. Coming from the airport and heading to the Green Line’s souq stretch, change at Union – it is sooner and the transfer is shorter; coming from Downtown, MOE or the Marina toward the Green Line, stay on until BurJuman to avoid backtracking. Above ground you surface at Union Square park, with Naif Souq a ten-minute walk, Al Ghurair Centre slightly further, and the Rigga dining strip one stop or a pleasant walk away – workaday Deira and one of the best cheap-eats districts in the city.
Getting here and onward
Union is underground, zone 5, and among the network’s largest stations by floor area, with exits spread wide around the square – if meeting someone, agree on a landmark, not just “Union station.” Peak crush is real here, 7:30-9:00 AM and 5:30-7:30 PM pushing serious volumes through the interchange escalators, so with luggage avoid those windows. For any post-11 PM journey involving a change, treat 30 minutes before close as your deadline, since the connecting line’s last service can leave before yours arrives.