RTA's Rail Agency briefs Dubai Municipality on Dubai Metro project

The meeting was attended by Engineer Mohammed Rowaished, Deputy Director of the Planning and Design Department of the Rail agency and accompanied by other senior Rail officers and the consultants on the project. They delivered a presentation on the unique architectural design of the Dubai Metro stations, depots and supporting infrastructure.

About this meeting, Engineer Abdul Majid Al Khaja, CEO of the Rail Agency said: "RTA is committed to building a quality transit system that enhances Dubai's reputation as a world city. The Dubai Metro will be a safe, modern, fast and convenient system of accessing the city and is designed to be integrated with the expanding rail, bus and water taxi systems"

The presentation highlighted key facts of the project. It highlighted that there are 10 underground stations on the Red & Green lines strategically located in the central area of Dubai. In addition, there are a total of 37 elevated stations that serve new developments.

The Red Line route starts at Rashidiya and then goes to Al Maktoum Street towards Union Square, under the creek to Burjuman, then along Sheikh Zayed Road towards Jebel Ali. The Green Line starts at Al Qusais, goes to SalahAlDeen Road, interchanges with the Red Line at Union Square and then on to Baniyas Square, Al Ras area, under the creek to Al Gubaiba, along Khalid Bin Waleed Road (with a second interchange with the Red Line at Burjuman) and finally on to Oud Metha, Health Care City and ends at Al Jadaff.

While describing the architectural feature of the stations, it was highlighted that the distinctive curved roofs of the elevated stations are inspired by Dubai's pearl diving heritage while the interiors are finished in four colour themes, based on the elements of fire, earth, air and water.

All stations are designed with the needs of the disabled and elderly in mind. Each entrance to the metro has a lift that provides a barrier free path into the station. Special tiles lay in the floor guide users from the lifts and the station ticket offices and on to the platforms. In addition, every station has public washrooms with barrier free facilities.

The presentation also highlighted the importance of ancillary facilities and structures that are being built to support the operation of the railway. Three metro depots are being constructed at Jebel Ali & Rashidiya on the Red Line and at Al Qusais on the Green Line. Each depot contains a number of different building types each with a specialist function in support of the railway. At the depots, the trains are cleaned, inspected and maintained. At Rashidiya there is a large office complex where all the railway management staff are based and the Operations Control Centre - the nerve centre of the entire Red & Green Line.

The Dubai Municipality officials were impressed with the architectural marvel of the Metro and said that the Metro would definitely add to the aesthetic appeal of the city.