14.5 kilometer extension, eight new stations, additional 16 minutes journey time
Dubai Metro is planning to extend a 14.5 kilometer route which will help commuters to reach the EXPO 2020 site conveniently. The projected route will comprise an elevated extension of 10.5 kilometers and an underground extension of four kilometers. Total of 8 new stations will be constructed including five elevated stations, two underground stations and one future elevated station. Tenders of the projects is expected to be awarded and construction will start early in 2016. The project is expected to completed by 2018.
The metro route will branch out from Nakheel Harbour and Tower station to the destination site. Road Transport and Authority (RTA) reportedly said that the elevated stations will be in line with the Red Line stations designs. However, the designs will have additional design elements like the wings of an aircraft.
Nakheel Harbour and Tower Station will work as a transit point for all newly five developing elevated stations for commuters travelling towards the EXPO 2020 site. In order to accommodate more people during the grand event, the existing station will be reconstructed. With all redevelopment work going on, the station will remain functional to help commuters travel on the Red Line.
The prime attraction among all stations is EXPO station. It will be an elevated station but will have a completely different design and look. The Expo station has been planned to cater to the needs of the commuters of the EXPO 2020 and the future visitors after the grand event as well.
Underground stations will be developed in line with the current design. The main focus will be the venue of the EXPO 2020, however, all the nearby landmarks and other mode of transports have been linked to the stations. Platforms will have more space so that it will accommodate huge number of commuters. Escalators will be crafted with tree tracks unlike the existing ones, to handle more commuters.
The projected route has been planned to connect a huge part of Dubai’s populations to the mass transit system. The route will cover several highly-populated areas and industrial zones helping around 24,000 commuters. The route will cover areas including Discovery Garden, Al Furjan, Jumeirah Golf Estates and DIP and also connect with Etihand Rail at Al Maktoum International Airport. Once the construction is completed, Dubai metro network will be 90 kilometer long.
At present, the duration of Red Line journey from Rashidiya to Jebel Ali is approximately an hour. With the addition of this new route, it will be extended to around one hour and 16 minutes. Besides the route for the EXPO 2020, two more route extensions have also been approved. However, there is no update on the project initiation date. The proposals include 3.5-kilometer extension from Rashidiya to Mirdif (Red Line) and 20.6-kilometer extension from Jaddaf to Academic City (Green Line).
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