TRAIN TO WONDERLAND!
DUBAI METRO TURNS 12 TODAY. THE PROJECT HAS CAPTURED IMAGINATIONS SINCE ITS LAUNCH, PROVING HUMAN INGENUITY TRIUMPHS AGAINST ALL ODDS
The date, 09.09.09 is etched in the minds of Dubai and UAE citizens — a day when Dubai Metro launched and history was made. The launch of the Dubai Metro was not just a logistical solution to the urban issues of road congestion that a megapolis such as Dubai faced. It was also a rousing cheer, a feat of technology and human will, allowing Dubai and the UAE to announce to the world that nothing was impossible. His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, on inaugurating the network on September 9, 2009, was justifiably proud when he said, “Dubai Metro is the Project of the Century, and one of the unique and distinguished landmarks of Dubai and the UAE.”
Today, as the world’s longest driverless rail network celebrates 12 eventful years, it is also a time for reflection, on the achievements of this Dubai icon and as to what lies ahead.
That records have been broken in a relatively short period of time by Dubai Metro and later Dubai Tram, is a given
We will proceed with the same determination to ensure safe and reliable transportation solutions, and embody the vision of Dubai RTA to be the world leader in seamless and sustainable mobility, and operational efficiency successes.”
(see our infographic). However, what the launch of Dubai Metro’s Red and Green Lines, and more recently the Route 2020 extension have also provided UAE citizens is a prism, a unique perspective to view the rigours of daily life, work and commute that can also be fun, while ensuring the safety of commuters. The Dubai Metro, for instance was among the first bodies to ensure strict Covid-19 protocols at its locations across metro stations and within train compartments, with sanitation teams swinging into action and social distancing norms enforced. Today, more than 1.62 billion users have vouched for Dubai Metro’s impeccable services and the 99.7 per cent trip accuracy that it proudly commands.
Dubai Metro will be a critical mode of transport for visitors to Expo 2020 Dubai. The new Dubai Metro line to the Expo 2020 site was inaugurated on July 8. The Dh11 billion project includes a 15-kilometre extension of the Red Line and seven new stations. Several stations on the Red Line have also been renamed. These include Al Rashidiya station, now called Centrepoint station; Al Jafiliya station is now Max Fashion station, and Dubai Marina station is Sobha Realty station.
Mattar Al Tayer, Director General, Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors, RTA, says, “We will proceed with the same determination to ensure safe and reliable transportation solutions, and embody the vision of Dubai RTA to be the world leader in seamless and sustainable mobility.”
Mattar Al Tayer | Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors, RTA