Dubai’s Al Sufouh Tram Project will see its first phase open in 2014, the chairman of the board and executive director of the Dubai Roads and Transport Authority said on Sunday.
During a visit to the project to check on the progress of construction work, Mattar Al Tayer was briefed that the completion rate of the project hit 95% in the design of the transit systems, 62% in the design of civil works, and 50% in utility lines diversion works, while the overall project completion rate has reached about 43%.
“The first phase of the $1.08bn Al Sufouh Tram will be complete in the first half of 2014 and open to passengers to provide a smooth, safe and affordable public transport system to residents and visitors to new Dubai areas,” he said in a report carried by Dubai based newspaper, Gulf News.
While the total length of the Al Sufouh Tram is 14.7km, the first phase of the route will be 10.7km long and will cost $1.08bn. It will be built between Jumeirah Walk and the Mall of the Emirates.
Part of the first phase will include the construction of 13 stations of the 19, while eight of the 25 trams will be used initially. Each tram will carry 400 passengers and will cater to 5,000 passengers an hour.
Much like the Dubai Metro, the trams will have three categories including gold class, women and children and the standard silver (economy) class.
The tramline will also provide a link to three Metro stations; the Mall of the Emirates, Dubai Marina and Jumeriah Lakes Towers. It will also be linked to the Palm Jumeirah monorail.
The tram-track extends at grade-level along Al Sufouh Road, but rises to an elevated section in certain parts of Dubai Marina because of urban structures in the locality, the RTA explained in a statement.
The Al Sufouh Tram is considered to be the world’s first tramway project that is powered by an electric supply system that extends along the track. This removes the need for catenary cables.
It is also the world’s first tramway to use platform screen doors in passenger stations that are fully aligned with the tram’s doors opening and shutting mechanism, providing maximum convenience, safety and security for passengers. At the same time, this system helps protect the efficiency of the air-conditioning quality in the interior of both stations and carriages from the external environment.