RTA will fast track $1.3bn expansion of Red Line if Dubai hosts World Expo 2020
Dubai Metro expansion project will run to Dubai World Central, chairman of authority says
The RTA will extend the Red Line of Dubai Metro to DWC should Dubai win the right to host the World Expo in 2020.
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Dubai’s Road and Transport Authority will fast track the $1.36 billion expansion of the Dubai Metro Red Line to connect to Dubai World Central, if the Emirate wins the bid to host the World Expo 2020, a top official has said.
Dubai has already earmarked a large venue for the Expo at Dubai World Central, a 140sq kilometre airport city that will host the 160 million passenger capacity Al Maktoum International Airport, which is set to be the world’s biggest greenfield airport project.
“As soon as the bid results are out and if we win — which we will Inshallah (God willing), we start the planning and development of the project,” Mattar Mohammad Al Tayer, chairman of the Board and executive director of Roards and Transport Authority (RTA), told media personnel.
Al Tayer added that the plan to extend the Red Line to DWC had been in place for quite a while. Originally, the plan was for the project to be linked with the growth in passenger traffic at the airport, which is scheduled to launch commercial flights in October, through a temporary five million passenger terminal.
However, should Dubai win the right to host the World Expo in 2020, he said that work would begin in November of this year.
The Al Maktoum International Airport opened in 2010 and currently handles cargo operations.
Al Tayer also said that the UAE’s Etihad Railway would also pass through Jebel Ali, which is close to DWC, thus bringing additional visitors to the Expo site.
“We have already floated the tenders for the next stage of Etihad Rail’s development. The entire project is expected to be completed by 2017, and that will bring additional traffic to the area,” Al Tayer, who is also on the Etihad Rail’s board, said during a visit to Paris.
