New Dubai Metro route: Marina to Expo 2020 site in 15 minutes

Dubai Metro’s Expo Route 2020 is expected to have 275,000 riders a day by 2030, a top Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) official told Khaleej Times.

“Initially we are expecting around 30,000 passengers a day on this line, with usage increasing to 70,000 per day over the next few months and eventually around 275,000 per day by 2030. The full Red Line will be operational a few months before the Expo,” said AbdulMohsin Ibrahim Younes, Chief Executive Officer of the Rail Agency.

The RTA on Friday opened the four new Metro stations — Jebel Ali, The Gardens, Discovery Gardens and Al Furjan — with the first journey departing from Jebel Ali at 10am.

Al Furjan station secures LEED certification

The Dubai Metro has secured LEED certification for its new stations on the Red Line, and will be using the technology for its future projects as well. Al Furjan, which is one of the four latest stations on the Expo2020 route, is the first station to secure this certification. The station was opened for public use along with three others, namely Jabal Ali, The Gardens, and Discovery Gardens, on January 1, added top officials.

The Dubai Metro used the extension of the Red Line as an opportunity to incorporate new features to ease passenger commute and also help advance the green economy. The Dubai Metro is the first metro network in the world to have been awarded the LEED certification, the officials said. It is a learning that will be incorporated in future projects, too.

The use of latest technology has helped reduce greenhouse gases immensely and saved 6.6 million in kilowatts every year, the RTA stated. The Dubai Metro is expected to save three million in CO2 emissions annually.

All the four stations are on elevated platforms and will be connected to Jumeriah Golf Estates (which will be the biggest underground metro station), Dubai Investment Park, and Expo2020 in the next few months.

Reach Expo site in 15 minutes from Dubai Marina

Time is of essence in the emirates, and therefore, the biggest challenge on this route was to find a way to ease the flow of traffic to Expo2020 in the shortest possible time. “We conducted the study and determined areas that can be connected on the route. Passengers will be able to reach Expo2020 site in just 16 minutes from Dubai Marina,” said Younes.

New technology and design

The design for the new stations is inspired by the four elements of nature: earth, air, fire, and water, except the Expo2020 station which stands out with its futuristic design and will be opened a few months before the World Fair.

All new stations have been equipped with new smart gates that are more sensitive to the need of the users and allow swifter entry and exit.

The trains too have been redesigned to accommodate more passengers, and the static display boards have been replaced with digital ones, which will allow easy readability.

Expo2020 station with its clean and neat design, use of wide ramps for ease of walking, is sure to wow millions of passengers travelling from around the world who will attend the World Fair. It spans across 18,800 square metres and has a capacity of 522,000 riders a day.

The CEO of the Rail Agency said the Route Expo2020 line will remain in use and extended to eventually connect Al Maktoum International Airport.

suneeti@khaleejtimes.com

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• Abu Dhabi