Alstom said its ExpoLink consortium had played a major role in the successful completion of Dh11 billion ($2.9 billion) Dubai Route 2020 metro project. The extension of the Red Line metro has seven stations including Jebel Ali and the flagship station at the Expo site. 

 

The Alstom-led consortium includes key partners - Spanish infrastructure major Acciona and Turkish specialist in rail system projects Gülermak. 

 

The Dubai Route 2020 metro project consists of a 15-km-long line, of which 11.8 km is above ground and 3.2 km underground, and an interchange on the Red Line. The extension of the metro has seven stations including Jebel Ali Station and the flagship metro station at the Expo site.

 

As per the deal, Alstom was responsible for the integration of the entire metro system including 50 metropolis trainsets produced in Alstom’s site in Katowice, Poland, power supply, communication, signalling, automatic ticket control, track works, platform screen doors and a three-year warranty on the whole system, as well as the enhancement of the existing metro line by upgrading power supply, signalling systems, miscellaneous communication and track works. 

 

The trainsets, which are 85.5 m long and composed of five cars per trainset, will be able to carry up to 696 passengers each.

 

The iconic project was ceremonially inaugurated by HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates, and Ruler of the Emirate of Dubai last week at  a grand ceremony which was attended by Henri Poupart-Lafarge, Alstom’s CEO and Chairman of the Board as well as the top management of the ExpoLink Consortium via video conference technology.  

 

Lauding Dubai government for the successful project completion, Müslüm Yakisan, the Senior VP (Middle East, Africa and Central Asia) said: "Alstom is extremely proud to have delivered the world’s fastest built turnkey metro project. The Route 2020 project shows Dubai’s commitment to offer its residents and visitors a state-of-the-art rail network system, and we remain committed to providing the RTA with the utmost support in their journey towards greener and smarter mobility."

 

According to him, the train offers an excellent level of passenger experience, thanks to wide gangways, large doors and windows, three specific areas for Silver, Family and Gold Classes. 

 

Eco-friendly, the train is equipped with a full electrical braking system, LED lighting and other innovations to reduce energy consumption, he said.

 

Alstom, he stated, was a dedicated and long-standing partner of Dubai’s transportation and mobility development. 

 

"We have delivered the Dubai tramway, the first fully integrated tramway system in the Middle East and the world’s first 100% catenary-free line, which was opened in November 2014. Alstom is also in charge of the maintenance of the Dubai Tram for a period of 13 years," he added.-TradeArabia News Service