Rail Agency officials attend Automated Train Seminar in Spain

Senior officials from Rail Agency that included Eng. Abdulredha Abu Hassan, Rail Planning and Design Director, and Eng. Adnan Al Hammadi, Rail Constructions Director of the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) recently visited Spain and France to learn about the manufacturing of trams, their network and integration with other modes of transport etc.

The officials represented the Rail Agency of the RTA at the Automated Metros seminar in Madrid, Spain where 16 international authorities presented their experience on automated driverless systems. The RTA Rail Officials presented the Metro film and briefly described the current and future projects.

On their visit to the tram manufacturing factory Alstom in Barcelona, they were briefed about the operation, controls and production line of the trams. The officials commented, "This trip is a great learning experience for us. Dubai has yet a long way to go and we have plenty to study and implement in terms of transport. We are glad to learn about the operation of the two tram lines here in Barcelona and to study their integration with other modes of transport. "

In Madrid the officials visited the inter model stations where different modes of transport meet connecting the network in and out of the city. This trip also involved a visit to the underground stations and the Operations Control Center of the high speed commuter trains. The team was thrilled to find that the OCC system and the Rolling stock of the Dubai Metro is much more advanced and of higher standards.

In the French city of Bordeaux, the Rail Engineers toured the city to study the tram network and its integration with other modes of transport. Various construction and safety issues were discussed.