Dubai: The first of 50 new trains for the Dubai Metro will arrive in November 2018, with the last one being delivered in October 2019, a top official announced on Saturday.
Fifteen of the new trains will be deployed to serve Expo 2020 and 35 will be used to enhance the metro service.
Mattar Al Tayer, Director-General of @RTA_Dubai: First new #Dubai Metro train arrives next Novemberhttps://t.co/5FkL0ye2ib pic.twitter.com/E8dZhQPgAa
— Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) September 22, 2018
Mattar Al Tayer, Director-General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) made the announcement after attending a technical test run of the first train on a 500 metre test track, at the manufacturer Alstom’s factory in Poland.
Al Tayer described the test run as a milestone in the construction of Route 2020 Project, which involves the extension of the Dubai Metro Red Line 15km from Nakheel Harbour and Tower Station, to the site of Expo 2020.
Al Tayer checked the additions and improvements introduced to the metro carriages’ interior design, such as dedicating the last carriage for women and children and leaving part of the first carriage for the Gold Class. Other carriages will be Silver Class. Seats will be transversal in the Gold Class, and longitudinal in the Silver Class as well as women and children’s carriage.
The improved design will increase the passenger intake by eight per cent to 696 riders per train. The trains’ exterior design will remain unchanged, in order to maintain the design identity of Dubai Metro and its familiar colours to the public, Al Tayer said.
Additions include revamping the designs without affecting the identity of handles, lighting, and the locations of digital signage. They also include an illuminated dynamic map for the metro route and stations, using a power-saving lighting system, and modifying the design of the luggage compartment to make it usable by standing commuters.
Improvements also cover the shape and number of handles, the use of modern digital display systems, distributing seats on the two sides of the train and increasing the gangway connecting carriages. The new carriages are also customised for use by people of determination.
