Dubai: It was business as usual at the Dubai Metro Red line on Saturday as its sister line, the newly opened Green Line, started its first day of public operations.
In Focus | Dubai Metro
Moderate footfall on first day of Green Line public operation
The real test of the Green Line will start on Sunday, the first working day after its opening on Friday
- By Emmanuelle Landais, Senior Reporter, Gulf News
- Published: 14:24 September 10, 2011
- Image Credit: Supplied
- The 23 kilometre-long Green Line is the second of the Dubai Metro project — the longest driverless automatic train system with a total length of 75 kilometres. It includes the 52 kilometre-long Red Line linking Al Rashidiya to the Jebel Ali Free Zone.
The footfall in the Red and Green Line stations were moderate, with adequate seating in all the train carriages.
At Khalid Bin Al Waleed station, the change in pace was not much different. The station offers a link to the Green Line.
The announcements in the train do not signal the connecting station, but maps above each door are clearly marked.
The Green Line is expected to pick the rush later in the evening as Saturday is a public holiday.
However, the real test of the Green Line will start on Sunday, the first working day after its opening on Friday.
People lined the platform to board heading in the direction of Etisalat station.
Inside the carriages people opted to stand while seating was available, excited to be on the new line.
At Al Fahidi station, few people got on.
At Al Ghubaiba station Dr Pam Bhatt from Malaysia alighted with her husband.
"It's our first time on the metro and our first impression is that it opened on our wedding anniversary, which is wonderful," she said.
The Bhatts celebrated 22 years of marriage on the opening of the green line on September9, 2011.
"it makes it fantastically easy to get around. It's really very good," she said.
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