Dubai: Dubai Metro will become more efficient with the introduction of new trains and opening of seven more stations on April 25, Gulf News has learnt.
With the additional trains, the frequency of trains in one direction will be brought down to six minutes during peak hours from the current 10 minutes.
Seven stations: New stops
- Emirates
- Airport Terminal 1
- GGICO
- Al Karama
- World Trade Centre
- Dubai Marina
- Ibn Battuta
Travel time for passengers will also be reduced considerably as the maximum waiting time at a station will be reduced from 10 to six minutes during peak hours.
The existing trains run a 10-minute headway between trains at the rate of six trains per hour with an intake of 3,858 passengers per hour in each direction.
An official at the Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) said that the train stopping time at the stations will also be revised to reduce the journey time.
At present, a train stops for a maximum of two minutes at some stations.
With the increased number of stations and trains, stops will be reduced to six minutes. Around 10 to 12 trains will run per hour in each direction with an intake of around 7,700 passengers.
The RTA is also reviewing train operating times Currently, trains operate from 6am to 11pm and from 2pm to midnight on Fridays.
The RTA is considering extending normal operating time up to midnight and is also studying starting train operations a bit earlier on Fridays. The number of trains will also be increased from an existing 12 to at 21 or 24 with the opening of new stations.
The RTA has already announced the opening of seven more stations, bringing the number of operational stations to 18 out of a total 29 on the Red Line. The other 11 stations will open in phases in the coming months.
The seven new stations opening on April 25 include Emirates, Airport Terminal 1, GGICO, Al Karama, World Trade Centre, Marina and Ibn Battuta.
The Metro has carried more than 12 million passengers since its launch on September 9 last year up to the end of March.
Has the Metro helped reduce traffic? Have you faced any problems using the service?
