Dubai Metro to operate for longer hours

Dubai: Beginning September 3, the Dubai Metro will operate for longer hours, the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) announced yesterday.

Trains will run from 6am to midnight from Saturday to Wednesday, from 6am to 1am on Thursdays and from 1pm to 1am on Fridays.

At present, the trains run from 6am to 11pm on weekdays and till midnight on weekends.

The changed timings are being introduced as the Green Line is to become operational on September 9.

Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of the RTA, said: "The number of trains to be deployed on both the Red and Green lines will rise to 50 during peak hours and 28 during off-peak hours."

The decision to extend the timings was made based on a survey conducted among Metro users. Many wanted extension of the Metro timings to match those of malls and recreational areas in the city.