Dubai to introduce blue line metro linking red and green lines and adding 14 stations

The Blue Line, which will serve as a link between the Metro’s existing Red and Green lines, will have 14 stations.

A new 30-kilometer track, called the Blue Line, will be added to the Dubai Metro, according to a recent tender issued by the Highways and Transportation Authority (RTA) for the design and construction of the new line in the city.

Aiming to “serve Dubai’s rapid economic and urban growth”, the Blue Line will provide a link between the Metro’s existing Red and Green lines. It will have a total length of 30 kilometers, of which 15.5 kilometers will be underground and 14.5 kilometers on the surface.

The Blue Line will have 14 stations: seven are elevated, including one iconic station; five subways, including an interchange station; and two elevated transfer stations connected to the existing Centrepoint station, the eastern terminus of the Red Line at Rashidiya; and Creek Station, the southern terminus of the Green Line at Al Jaddaf.

More driverless trains

The route, cost and schedule of the project are not specified, but the tender for potential suppliers and contractors also includes the supply of 28 new driverless trains, as well as the construction of a new depot with capacity for 60 trains and the construction of all associated trains. roads, facilities and public service diversion works.

Specifically, the winning Blue Line contractor, joint venture or consortium will work on the following:

• Civil works, including detailed design and construction of architectural and structural components (such as viaducts, tunnels, stations, etc.).
• Design and execution of electromechanical works.
• Design, acquisition and delivery of railway operation and control systems, stations and facilities.
• Design, manufacture and supply of rolling stock (generic term used in the railway industry for anything on railway wheels)

Backbone of the public transportation system.

Dubai Metro, which was first launched on September 9, 2009, is recognized as the world’s longest driverless metro network, with a length of 89.3 kilometers. It is the backbone of the city’s public transportation system and has served more than 2 billion travelers in the last 14 years.

Dubai Metro, which currently maintains a fleet of 129 trains, has maintained a 99.7 percent punctuality rate and has surpassed international safety standards with its exceptional operational efficiency. It is the flagship of Dubai’s visionary plan to increase the proportion of driverless public transport to 30 percent by 2030.

There are currently 53 stations on both the Red and Green Lines. The latest expansion project is Route 2020, which runs from the Jebel Ali station on the Red Line to Dubai Expo City. Route 2020 began operations on January 1, 2021.

Coping with rapid urban growth

The Blue Line subway extension is part of Dubai Urban Plan 2040which was launched in March 2021 in anticipation of Dubai’s population reaching 5.8 million in 2040, up from 3.3 million in 2020. The city’s daytime population is projected to increase from 4.5 million in 2020 to 7.8 million in 2040, which requires a “comprehensive plan for sustainable urban development.”

A great boost from Dubai Urban Plan 2040 It is mobility. The plan plans to place 55 percent of residents within 800 meters of public transport stations, so that they can cover 80 percent of their daily needs within a 20-minute journey, even on foot or by bicycle.

By increasing population density around public transportation stations, the Blue Line project will expand the Metro rail network

“To cope with Dubai’s rapid economic and urban growth. “This project facilitates mobility to Dubai’s major urban centers and fosters links between major centers of economic and social activities.”

according to the tender published by the RTA.

Companies wishing to participate in the Blue Line project must submit their detailed proposals no later than November 24.

News Source: Khaleej Times