It's 7:13 am on a sultry June morning and a passenger train pulls into the station in Abu Dhabi, oil-rich capital of the United Arab Emirates. An unremarkable scene in many cities but here, the first of its kind. The UAE's inaugural passenger service, from sleepy Fujairah, carried enthusiastic travellers who watched Thursday's sun rise as they sped across the desert, relaxing on brand-new upholstery.