Dubai Metro Opens Expo Line
New Red Line can carry up to 46,000 riders per hour to serve seven stations in some of the city’s largest neighborhoods
As Dubai prepares for the Oct. 1 opening of the much anticipated Expo 2021, the city has announced the opening of its Metro extension to passengers beginning Jan. 1.
The new 9-mile section of Dubai Metro’s Red Line will initially provide access to four stations serving some of the city’s largest neighborhoods – Jebel Ali, The Gardens, Discovery Gardens and Al Furjan – all of which are currently accessible only by bus or car.
An additional three stations – Jumeirah Golf Estates, Dubai Investments Park and 2020 Expo – are scheduled to open later in 2021.
The Red Line, which took an investment of $3 billion, has a capacity of 46,000 passenger per hour in both directions. RTA studies predict Route 2020 will serve 125,000 passengers daily in 2021, with that number increasing to 275,000 by 2030.
Studies also predict that Expo Station is expected to serve about 35,000 daily visitors during weekdays, increasing to 47,000 daily visitors during weekends. This number would represent 29 percent of the total expected number of daily visitors to Expo 2021.
Beginning Jan. 1, six trains an hour will serve Jebel Ali, The Gardens, Discovery Gardens and Al Furjan, with waiting time of approximately 10 minutes. The service will run from 5:00 AM to midnight, Saturday to Wednesday, 5:00 AM to 1:00 AM on Thursday and 10:00 AM to 1:00 AM on Friday.
