Dubai: Commuters are coming to terms with the partial closure of Dubai Metro’s Red Line, which came into effect on Friday to allow for the reconstruction of the Nakheel Harbour and Towers station as part of the Route 2020 project.
The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has deployed free shuttle bus service between Ibn Battuta and Jumeirah Lakes Towers (JLT) stations, offering an alternative to commuters along the closed segment.
On Sunday, the first working day since the planned closure began on Friday, many commuters were still coming to terms with the change.
“I didn’t realise the partial closure had already started. I started for work as usual and only when I reached JLT, I realised that I have to get off and take bus to Ibn Battuta. I took me an extra 30 minutes to reach work in Jebel Ali because of the rush as many people were unaware of the situation,” said Abeer Mustafa, a regular commuter on the Red Line.
Another commuter Anand Thomas urged RTA to added more buses, especially during peak hours, to ease the rush.
“The shuttle service is nice, but I thought more buses could help speed up the commute. I understand it is the first working day since the closure came into effect and there would be some teething issues,” said Thomas, who has been doing the early morning commute on the Red Line since 2009.
Aside from a few hiccups, the first working day commute after the partial closure of Dubai Metro’s Red Line was smooth, with a circular bus route between Ibn Battuta and JLT stations operating non-stop.
RTA announced the suspension of metro operations along the small stretch early in December, urging commuters to plan ahead and allow an additional 20 minutes in order to avoid any delays.
The suspension will be in place until mid-2019 to carry out the expansion work of Dubai Metro.
Construction work on the 15km-long Route 2020, an extension of the Red Line connecting Nakheel Harbour and Towers station with the Expo 2020 site, began late last year.
Work is currently underway all along the 15km route that passes through several densely populated areas, including Discovery Gardens, The Gardens, Jumeirah Village, Dubai Investment Park etc.
Tunnel boring works and construction of elevated viaducts are currently underway simultaneously.
Work on the reconstruction of the Nakheel Harbour and Towers stations has already begun and metro pillars and viaducts could already be seen rising up all along the new route.
According to RTA, the suspension of the services is dictated by construction works required for the building a new station alongside the existing Nakheel Harbour and Tower station and linking it with the existing one.
The construction will require the complete closure of the station as well as the attached multi-storey car park.
“Constructional modifications require the full closure of Nakheel Harbour and Tower Stations as the rail track between JLT Metro Station, and Ibn Battuta Station will be fully closed from January 5, 2018, until the middle of 2019,” said Abdul Mohsen Ebrahim Younus, CEO of RTA’s Rail Agency, announcing the partial closure last month.
The closure means, passengers heading to the UAE Exchange Station are required to alight at JLT station, board a shuttle bus to the Ibn Battuta Station and then continue their journey on metro to the UAE Exchange station.
In the direction of Rashidiya, passengers are required to alight at Ibn Battuta station, take the shuttle bus to JLT station and from there proceed on the metro.
The Route 2020 runs on an 11.8km elevated track and 3.2km underground, supported by seven stations, including an interchange station, a station at the expo site, three elevated stations and two underground stations.
The Dh10.6 billion Route 2020 is expected to be ready by the end of 2019 and will be scheduled to open for public from May 20, 2020, five months before the start of Expo 2020.
Discovery Gardens commuters seek direct bus to JLT metro station
Discovery Gardens commuters are seeking a direct bus to and from Jumeirah Lakes Towers (JLT) metro station, rather than taking a combination of a feeder bus to Ibn Battuta station and shuttle bus from there.
Since the partial closure of the metro services took effect on Friday, Discovery Gardens residents have been boarding two buses before they could board a Dubai Metro train, which they find taxing and time consuming.
“I feel it will be easier for us, if there was a direct bus between Discovery Gardens and JLT station. Right now we have to change two buses, which I feel is unnecessary and time consuming. I lost more than 30 minutes doing the bus commute one way and it’s the same story on the way back,” said Ishan Kumar, an Indian resident of Discovery Gardens.
Commuters suggest that the F43 feeder service that connects the Discovery Gardens with Ibn Battuta could be diverted to temporarily or a new direct feeder service could be introduced.
“A Direct service could help us save a lot of time, particularly during evening peak hours when traffic is too bad and having to change two buses is too much of an ask. I request RTA to consider our proposal,” said Maria Azzaro, a Filipina expat.
Once the Route 2020 becomes operational, Discovery Gardens residents will be among the beneficiaries with the line passing through the area.
