Metro stations to use 25,000 tonnes of steel

Sixty per cent of the steelwork on Jebel Ali Metro Depot has been completed and it will become the first station to be finished. The steel is being fabricated in Malaysia and Singapore, and 15,000 tonnes have already been delivered to Dubai.

“The stations will be built within a curved steel-framed enclosure to give them a distinct design,” said Adnan Al Hammadi, director of construction at the Rail Agency.

Curved roofs will be the signature of the Metro stations, with elevated shell-shaped roofs intended to evoke the country’s pearl diving heritage. Generally, the stations will be elliptical in shape with the principle design philosophy being to wrap the station around the tracks. Once completed, Dubai Metro will have 24 elevated stations along the viaduct section of the Red Line. The stations have been designed to reflect the modern metropolis of Dubai, according to the authority.

Erection of the first steelwork for the elevated stations started in mid-October at Jebel Ali Industrial Station. Steelwork has also started at the Dubal Station.

 

Building of the steel framework for the stations follows a major milestone achieved by the Rail Agency involving the commencement of steel erection at all the Metro depots, where trains will be parked and serviced at the end of each line. Nearly 5,000 tonnes of steelwork will be used for the construction of the depots.

The stations will have eye-catching architectural finishes with the themes of earth, water, fire and air and state-of-the-art lighting including ambient and feature lighting.

Air-conditioned washroom facilities, ‘barrier free’ disabled access, platform screen doors and wireless internet facilities will also be available at all stations. Road and water taxis will be integrated into the Metro system.

Construction work on the Metro is currently in its 22nd month following commencement in March 2006. More than Dh5.8 billion has so far been spent on the construction, with 50 per cent completion of the 52.1km Red Line and 18 per cent of the 22.5km Green Line.