Al Tayer: Dubai Metro Route 2020 to Start Operation on 1/1/2021

His Excellency Mattar Mohammed Al Tayer, Director-General, Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) announced that Route 2020, the extension of the Dubai Metro line from Jebel Ali Station to Expo 2020 station, would start commercial operation on 01/01/2021.

Al Tayer said: “The initial operation phase would cover four stations, namely: Jebel Ali (interchange station), The Gardens, Discovery Gardens, and Al Furjan Stations, and the other remaining three stations would be opened later on.

“RTA celebrates the New Year by starting the operation of Route 2020, which serves densely populated districts inhabited by 270k persons such as The Gardens, Discovery Gardens, Al Furjan, Jumeirah Golf Real Estates, and the Dubai Investment Park as well as the site of Dubai Expo.

"The selection of stations for operation on the first of January was based on several perimeters namely the density of population nearby the station, anticipated number of riders, commercial activities in the area served by the stations, and the link with other public transit means at each station.

“The opening of Route 2020 for the public follows the successful completion of four operational tests and trials.

“The first journey on Route 2020 will start from Jebel Ali Station to Al Furjan Station and in the opposite direction. Journeys will start at 05:00 am and end at 12:00 (midnight) from Saturday to Wednesday.

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"On Thursday, the first journey will start at 05:00 am, and the last journey will start at 01:00 am, (of the following day). On Friday, the first journey will start at 10:00 am and the last one will be at 01:00 am (of the following day).

"The journey between Jebel Ali and Al Furjan stations takes about six minutes. The service frequency (headway) will be 10 minutes at a rate of six trains per hour. The route can serve 4,176 riders per hour per direction.

“19 buses on four routes will serve Route 2020 stations to ease the mobility of riders from and to each station. Two of these routes will call at The Gardens Station, and the other two at Al Furjan Station. The taxi service will be available at the operating stations."

All the four operating stations are elevated stations.

Route 2020 has a capacity of 46,000 riders per hour in both directions (23,000 riders per hour per direction). RTA’s studies anticipate the number of riders using Route 2020 to reach 125,000 riders per day in 2021, and increase to 275,000 riders per day by 2030.

Studies also reveal that Expo Station is expected to serve about 35,000 daily visitors of Expo during weekdays, and the number to increase to 47,000 daily visitors during weekends. This number accounts for 29% of the total expected number of daily visitors to Expo.

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