Mohammed bin Rashid approves awarding contract for extending Dubai Metro Red Line Project /Route 2020/

Al Tayer. Addressing the press conference, Al Tayer spoke about linking Route 2020 with the Red Line of the Dubai Metro. "The RTA has mapped out a master plan for roads and transport projects to serve Expo 2020 and one of them is Route 2020. It has coordinated with all developers, and government service providers of concern with the planned metro route in order to ensure that Route 2020 will provide support to vital areas served by the project over the short and long terms," he said.

The Plan was tailored to achieve sustainability in the project such that the route will link the exhibition yard with several projects & vital communities with high population density of up to 270 thousand persons such as The Gardens, Discovery Gardens, Al Furjan, Jumeirah Golf Estates and the Dubai Investment Park.

"Route 2020 starts off Nakheel Harbour and Tower Station on the Red Line and extends 15 km: 11.8 km a viaduct, and 3.2 km underground track. The project encompasses seven stations including a transfer station with the Red Line, Expo Station, three elevated stations, and two underground stations," he explained.

"The capacity of Route 2020 is estimated as 46,000 riders per hour in both directions (23,000 riders per hour per direction). According to RTA studies, the ridership of Route 2020 is expected to reach 125,000 riders per day in 2020; and the number is set to rise to 275,000 riders per day by 2030. Studies also revealed that about 35,000 riders will use Expo Station per day during weekdays, and the number is poised to rise to 47,000 riders per day during weekends. This number accounts for about 20 per cent of the projected total number of daily visitors of Expo," stated Al Tayer.

As for the timeline of the project construction, Al Tayer said, "Construction works in the project will start in the final quarter of this year, and the trial run is expected to start in the last quarter of 2019. The official operation of the service is set to start in the second half of 2020 namely on 20/05/2020 i.e. five months ahead of the opening of Expo 2020."

Commenting on the funding of Route 2020 project, Al Tayer said, "The RTA in coordination with the Finance Department of Dubai Government, had asked consortiums to submit elective finance offers during the tender submission stage. Accordingly, the Finance Department will select the suitable finance model that achieves the present and future financial sustainability of the project."

A host of CEOs and directors of RTA in addition to the President of Systra Pierre Verzat, Parsons Group President MES Gary Adams and several executives of Expolink Consortium attended the press conference.