JEDDAH — Dubai's rail network is set for a massive expansion, the Dubai-based Khaleej Times said on Thrusday. The expansion will involve extension of the so-called red and green lines, with “new lines added and with connections to the proposed Etihad Rail network across the Gulf countries”. Land has been acquired to widen the existing network and new rail routes and infrastructure are expected to be completed by 2030 in three phases, Khaleej Times said. The extended railway will cover 421km with 197 stations, said Mattar Al Tayer, chairman of the Board and Executive Director of the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA). “Three new Metro lines — blue, gold and purple — and a Jumeirah tram route will be up and running by 2030,” the newspaper said. “Besides these, the current red and green lines will grow longer and will serve a growing population in the densely populated urban areas of Dubai.” Al-Taher said Shaikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, vice president and UAE prime minister as ruler of Dubai, has endorsed the plans. Al-Tayer hoped that once the new rail routes are completed, 30 percent of the residents in the emirate would be using public transport. “The general blueprint of the train network is in three phases — 2020, 2025 and 2030 — keeping in mind planned urban growth in the Emirate,” said Al-Tayer. Planners estimate Dubai's population to exceed 3.1 million by 2020, Khaleej Times said. “In the first phase, train projects along a 24.1-km long corridor with 12 stations will be completed,” it said. “The green line will cover Jaddaf to Dubai Academic City with 11 stations, a distance of 20.6km. Once the first phase of the extension work is complete, Dubai's train network will have 109km over 70 stations.” – SG
