Green Line Update

StHis Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai will launch the official operation of the Dubai Metro Green Line in September 2011.

The Green Line in Dubai covers a distance of 23 km and consists of 16 stations in addition to the transfer stations Union and Khalid Bin Al Waleed Stations, which are shared with the Dubai Metro Red Line. All stations will be up and running except for Al Jadaf and Creek Stations.

Dubai Metro Green Line Plan

Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of the RTA Mattar Al Tayer said..

“The completion of the vital Dubai Metro project culminated the continual support and attention of Shaikh Mohammad to uplift the infrastructure of Dubai and epitomise the RTA Strategic Plan, which is aimed at providing integrated roads and transit systems to ensure smooth mobility and highest safety levels to all network users.”

With the opening of the Green Line in Dubai, Al Tayer went on to say that he expects the current daily passenger load of 170,000 to double once the Dubai Metro Green Line becomes operational.

16 stations will initially be opened on the Green Line, including the Etisalat Station in Al Ghusais near Emirates Road, which is the starting point of the metro Green Line. The station is linked to a multi-level Park-and-Ride terminal with a capacity to house 2,350 vehicles as well as a bus station in order to encourage the public to use the Dubai Metro in travelling within Dubai.

The Al Ghusais Station is located near the building of the Ministry of Education and the General Department of Dubai Civil Defence as well as Al Twar Center which is a hub for several government services.

The Airport Free Zone Station which serves Terminal 2 of Dubai Airport and Dubai Airport Free Zone, will also open.

Other stations include Al Nahda Station which is adjacent to the building of the Ministry of Public Works and the Union Cooperative Society, the Stadium Station near Al Ahli Club, Al Qiyadah Station on Al Ittihad Road near the Dubai Police General Headquarter, Abu Hail station which serves a host of public schools, commercial centers and businesses and the Abu Baker Al Siddique Station which is situated near Al Muraqqabat Police Station and serves several commercial centers, hotels and business outlets.

The Dubai Metro Green line moves through an underground passage extending 8 km, starting with Salah Uddin Station which is the 9th on the Green Line, following which the metro Green and Red Lines intersect at Union station which is considered the largest underground metro station in the world spanning an area of 25,000 squaremeters with a capacity to handle around 22,000 passengers per hour.

Union station on the Dubai Metro consists of 2nlevels and measures 230 meters in length, 50 meters in width and 18 meters in depth. It accommodates business & service outlets for the Dubai metro riders and has 2 entry points fitted with elevators and escalators. 4 tunnels branch out of Union Square Station linking up with Baniyas Square and Salah Uddin Stations on the Green Line as well as Khalid Bin Al Waleed and Al Rigga Stations on the Red Line Dubai metro.

The 10th station on the Dubai Green Line is Baniyas Square Station which serves a densely populated and high business traffic area incorporating Naif Souk and a large number of hotels and business outlets. The 11th metro station on the green line is Palm Deira Station, followed by Al Ras and Al Ghubaiba Stations which feature a typical UAE traditional architectural design.

The 14th dubai metro green line station is Al Fahidi Station which serves an area of high-density commercial enterprises comprising shops, hotels and banks and the 2 metro lines then converge at Khalid Bin Al Waleed Station. The Dubai metro route then moves above ground in an elevated track with the next stop being the 15th station of Oud Metha, near Al Nasr Club.

The Station serves a variety of government entities such as Rashid Hospital, Dubai Media Inc, schools and resident communities clubs. The 16th metro station is Dubai Healthcare City which will be the terminus station under the initial operational stage, and the station will mainly serve the hospitals of the Dubai Healthcare City, Dubai Electricity and Water Authority, Wafi Center and hotels in the vicinity.

The number of metro riders in Dubai is expected to pick up considerably following the operation of the Green Line as it serves dynamic and high-density commercial, government and residential areas.

The operational timing of the Dubai Metro Green Line will be the same as that of the Red Line, where by the RTA will operate 13 trains during the morning and evening peak hours and 10 trains in the off-peak hours.

Al Ghusais Depot

The Green Line of the Dubai Metro consists of a mega metro depot at Al Ghusais and the facility, which is air-conditioned and fitted with an advanced firefighting system, provides a parking space for the metro carriages to be maintained and cleaned. It also has a parking area with a capacity to house 60 trains at a time, and contains workshops for carrying out maintenance works, and dedicated workshops for washing and cleaning of train carriages as well as an administrative building for employees.

Dubai Green Line Trial Run

The Operator of the Dubai Metro is progressing with the technical trial run of the metro which consists of 2 key phases. The first phase is known as the ‘Static Test’ that involves placing a motionless car of the rolling stock on the track and performing system tests covering communication systems, automatic train operation systems, power supply, air-conditioning, on-board electronics, and lighting systems in addition to integration and co-ordination tests between various sub-systems and components.

On passing the first test, the operator will move to the second phase known as the “Dynamic Test” to a car without passengers on board. It involves tests of various systems while the train is in motion, including propulsion and brake tests, load tests, traction power tests, electromagnetic compatibility tests, automatic train operation tests, communication tests and speed tests.