Metro's Green Line extension study to take 60 months

Dubai Metro's Green Line extension study is in the design stage and will be completed in 60 months, according to a senior official at RTA.

"The Green Line extension study is in the design stage and was awarded in March to consultant Systra-Parson International," said Abdul Redha Abu Al Hassan, Director of Planning and Development, Rail Agency, RTA, in an exclusive to Emirates Business. "The project timeline is 60 months and it includes design, feasibility studies and preparation of tender documents."

He was speaking on the sidelines of the Mena rail 2009 organised by Terrapin.

The Green Line extension goes from Jed Hafs Station 2 through the Lagoons project and will then connect to the Emirates Road. "If we have the Blue Line in future, then it will also connect to that line," said Al Hassan.

The RTA's yearly budget is Dh12 billion to Dh15bn, he said. "It will be reduced over the years as most of the infrastructure work will be completed," he said.

RTA has plans to have up to 320km of rail by 2020.

Meanwhile, the RTA also started a new study called Integrated Rail Master Plan in February, Al Hassan said.

"It is a revision of the rail line footprint. It will look at the rail lines in Dubai and based on the current information and the growth of the emirate, we will revisit all the lines again and look at the conceptual layout and how to integrate all the lines," he said. "We will try to put new programmes for the new lines and the phases of the various projects."

The study has been assigned to Parsons Brinckerhoff and will be ready by 2010. "It is a revision of the line footprint. At the end of the study, RTA will revise its master plan," said Al Hassan.

Al Hassan said the Purple Line is on hold and RTA is waiting for developers to get back in order to make the project feasible.

"We were ready to go for tender but it has stopped due to the recession and the fact that many developers have stopped their projects. We do not want to do a project that is serving no one," he said. "It will take time to start again after we get new information from the developers who are rescheduling and replanning their projects."

Meanwhile, the Sufouh tram system has delayed its Phase 2 works due to major ongoing road works on one hand and the 'on hold' status of the Sama Dubai project (Jumeirah Hills) on the other.

"Phase 1 is not a problem but we are waiting for the project to materialise and then can go ahead with Phase 2," said Al Hassan. "The constructions of the stations in Phase 1 will commence by December and the project will be completed by April 2011."

The 9km Phase 1 will consist of 13 stations and will service Dubai Marina, both Media and Internet cities and the Al Sufouh area.

The first phase's lines are being built by the ABS consortium comprising Alstom, Besix and Serco.

The second phase is intended to service Burj Al Arab and Jumeirah Beach Hotel and will stretch 5km with six stations. The tram will link up with the Red Line of the Dubai Metro at three points on Sheikh Zayed Road, and with the monorail on The Palm Jumeirah where it meets Al Sufouh Road.

Al Hassan admitted that if certain projects are not ready, then some of the stations on the Red Line will not be operational.

"If developers will continue with their projects, then the stations will be operational," he said. "Otherwise the trains will go through the stations, which will be fully constructed."

The Red Line has finished 100 per cent of the construction of its viaduct (52km) and 10km of tunnel construction. Construction on all underground and above ground stations has almost been completed, he said.

The Green Line expects to finish 100 per cent of the viaduct this month and 100 per cent of tunnel construction. "All stations are expected to be finished by December and will be operational by March 2010," he said.

Keep up with the latest business news from the region with the Emirates Business 24|7 daily newsletter. To subscribe to the newsletter, please click here.

Follow Emirates 24|7 on Google News.