Dubai’s Al Sufouh tramway project will begin commercial services in 2014, following an announcement from Dubai’s government owned RTA.
Maintenance contracts for the next 13 years have been awarded to a consortium between Alstom and Cofely Besix FM, a group that operates under an ongoing partnership with Dubai’s Belhasa Contracting.
The contract, valued at around US $157, is for maintenance of rolling stock and fixed installations to be delivered in the first phase of the project.
Phase one includes the supply of 11 Citadis tramsets; 10km of track; 13 stations; and electrification, signalling and ticketing equipment.
Maintenance will cover preventative and corrective works; equipment renewal; technical support; and spare part inventories for the trams sets.
The second phase of the project will add a further 14 tramsets and four kilometres of track.
Upon completion in 2014, the Dubai tramway will make the UAE the first Gulf country to operate a tram system.
The first electric trams were tested in Russia in the late 1800s, as a natural progression from cable cars and steam powered trams.