New station, 10,000 new commuters

Dubai The opening of the Danube Metro station on Wednesday is expected to worsen the peak hour rush with 10,000 more commuters expected daily.

But for people working and living in Jebel Ali — 50,000 people stay in worker accommodations here — the opening of the second station in the industrial heartland is great news.

The Danube Station — the 28th station on the Red Line — will provide direct access to JAFZA (Jebel Ali Free Zone Authority), which has 6,700 firms and a working and living population of over 170,000.

Metro riders told XPRESS they fear an increase in peak hour rush. “From six to eight in the morning, trains are already jampacked. I have to squeeze myself in and I never get a seat. I think it is going to get more crowded with the opening of the new station,” said Jessa Myr Flores, who works for a garment company in Jebel Ali.

Mahmoud Juma, a clearing agent for a transportation company in Jebel Ali, said the Danube station is a boon to people like him living in Karama. “In the morning there is huge rush at the Jebel Ali station and we have to stand in long queues to board the feeder buses.” However, he agreed that in the coming days Metro riders will have to brace for crowded trains in the morning and evenings.

“There are many more office towers and residential buildings that are slated to open next year. A second station in this area will definitely add to the rush,” said Maxime, a sales executive.

The Danube station, previously known as Jebel Ali Industrial Station, can handle around 11,000 people per hour per direction. The current average ridership of the Metro is 360,000 per day.

Danube Group is the first private entity to acquire the naming rights for a Metro station from the RTA. Khalid Bin Waleed Station was also renamed BurJuman Station and RTA unveiled the new plaque on Wednesday.