City Rail: Ride Through Dubai
Dubai, an international financial and trade center on the Arab Gulf, needed a transportation solution. Dubai’s Ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashed Al Maktoum had a vision, and in 2006 the state began building the world’s longest automated rail transit line at a cost of $7.6 billion. In a state of 1.3 million people, similar in population to Philadelphia or San Diego, Dubai Metro hopes to operate an integrated transportation network including buses, trains, water buses, and taxis. Dubai’s goals for this transportation network are similar to the goals of U.S. transit agencies: decrease traffic congestion, reduce air pollution, and increase tourism.
THE TRAIN AND ITS PEOPLE
Move over Vancouver Skytrain. Dubai Metro opened the world’s longest automated train route in September 2009. Skytrain is 30.8 miles: Dubai Metro’s Red Lie, which is partially opened, is 32.3 miles, running from Jebel Ali to Rashidiya. The 10.9 mile Green Line, scheduled to open in October 2010, will run from Creek to Etisalat. Red Line trains run from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m, Saturday to Thursday and from 2 p.m. to midnight on Fridays. Hours change during Ramadan, the Muslim Holy Month. Trains arrive every 3 minutes and 45 seconds during peak times and every 7 minutes during off-peak times. Round-trip travel time is 2 hours and 23 minutes.
A total of 87 five-car trainsets were purchased from Kinki Sharyo for the Red and green lines, and the trains get their power from a third rail. Each train accommodates 643 seated and standing passengers. To attract more riders, the trains are divided into three classes. One car is reserved for women and children, another car is for gold class travelers, and three are for silver class. Agency employees ride each train to provide emergency assistance, if needed.
Dubai Metro’s agency hopes the train will eventually serve 20 percent of its growing population. The agency’s customers come from varied backgrounds and socio-economic status, and some residents have never ridden a train before. Like agencies in the U.S., the Dubai metro created a marketing plan to help transform the habits of the public. To educate potential riders, the Dubai Metro Web site offers a virtual tour, with descriptions of how to buy a ticket and board the train. Dubai Metro riders are able to buy single-ride tickets and smart cards at 10 of the 47 elevated, underground, and ground-level stations on the Red Line. The remaining stations were set to open in February 2010.
Since its September 2009 opening, more than 6 million people have ridden the Dubai Metro train, with an average of 57,000 riders daily. While many initial passengers were joyriders, now most of the customers are commuters. The agency does not tolerate eating and drinking on the cars, placing feet on the seats, or riding in the wrong class of car. The Metro also limits the size and number of luggage or shopping bags passengers may carry. Riders pay fines pf up to $250 for any action that violates one of the 31 clauses contained in the “Dubai Metro Fines & Offences Code,” a practice that many U.S. train riders would not be accustomed to. The Metro has issued 957 citations to riders from its opening through mid-December. Such regulations may delay, if not prevent, the agency from reaching its ridership goal.
THE FUTURE
The world has recognized Dubai Metro, paying attention to its technology, its execution, and its plans for expansion. In addition to the red and Green lines, the agency plans to open the 32-mile Purple Line in 2011 and the 29-mile Blue Line in 2012, which will link the Dubai International Airport with the Al Maktoum International Airport in Jebel Ali. The future of these lines and the metro’s global impact rests on the agency’s ability to win riders. Dubai is known for breaking barriers and starting trends. Directly and indirectly, Dubai Metro will have an effect on the state’s economy. The agency estimates the train will generate $4.6 billion in revenue over the net 10 years, and property values will rise near stations.
