Dubai Metro: 10 years, 1.5 billion happy passengers

Dubai - The project was the first of its kind in the Arab world and among the most advanced in the world.

When the Dubai Metro was first proposed, many were not very keen about the idea, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has said. They rejected the concept, saying people would not use the mode of transport.
"We chose to implement the project because we realised the value it would add to society by providing safe and sustainable transportation," Sheikh Mohammed said. The Dubai Ruler was reminiscing about the Metro that he had inaugurated exactly 10 years ago. Since then, it has transported over 1.5 billion riders in 2.348 million journeys. It has clocked a punctuality rate of 99.7 per cent.
"The Dubai Metro is a key pillar of our infrastructure. It reflects the advancement of our plans to adopt solutions that make life easier for people," Sheikh Mohammed said.
The project was the first of its kind in the Arab world and among the most advanced in the world. "The Metro's success in achieving the goals we launched 10 years ago embodies our forward-thinking decisions and awareness of the importance of adopting of innovative future-oriented solutions.
"In the last 10 years, our investments in the roads and transport sector have reached almost Dh100 billion, which have laid the foundations of a strong infrastructure. We are dedicated to raising the quality of our infrastructure and ensuring we are second to none."
The history
On Wednesday, 09.09.2009 at 09.09.09pm, Sheikh Mohammed opened the Red Line of the Metro, spanning 52km and comprising 29 stations (four underground, 24 elevated and one at-grade). Exactly two years later, on 09.09.2011, he inaugurated the Green Line, extending 23km and comprising 18 stations (six underground and 12 elevated). The two lines intersect at the Union and Burjuman stations.
"Sheikh Mohammed envisaged the Metro system as the backbone of a transit system that connects hotspots in the Emirate, providing safe and smooth mobility for all. To match that supreme vision, he issued directives to construct Metro facilities that met and even exceeded global standards of excellence and sophistication," Mattar Al Tayer, Director-General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), said.
The share of public transport has grown steadily starting from six per cent in 2006 to 17.5 per cent in 2018 - a cumulative growth rate of about 9.3 per cent per annum. The emirate aims to raise the share of public transport to 26 per cent by 2030.
Route 2020
On June 29, 2016, Sheikh Mohammed endorsed the awarding of the contract for the Route 2020 Project, which seeks to extend the Dubai Metro Red Line from Nakheel Harbour and Tower Station to the site of Expo 2020.
The route extends 15km and has seven stations. It serves densely populated areas that are home to more than 270,000 people, including The Gardens, Discovery Gardens, Al Furjan, Jumeirah Golf Estates and the Dubai Investment Park.
The transit time from Dubai Marina to Expo is expected to be 16 minutes only. The capacity of Route 2020 is estimated to be 46,000 riders per hour in both directions.
Important information
>2.348m Journeys
>81.133m km covered
>99.7% Punctuality rate
>6.298b Nol transactions
>75km: Total route length
>650 riders: Capacity of each cabin
>79 trains
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