Alstom Citadis 402 trams near the Al Sufouh depot in July 2014.
The first section, a 10.6-kilometer (6.6 mi) long tram line which serves 11 stations, was ceremonially inaugurated on 11 November 2014, by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai, with the line officially opening for public service at 6:30 am (UTC 04:30) on 12 November 2014.[2]
The planning and construction of the Dubai Tram was undertaken by a consortium of Alstom, Besix and Parsons.[4][5][6][7]
Construction has been divided into two phases: Phase 1, was expected to be open in April 2011, however it was delayed until November 2014. Upon completion, Phase 1 of the tramline will operate 11 trams, serving 11 stations, covering 10.6 kilometers (6.6 mi) of route. The Phase 1 will cost AED 3.18 Billion.[1] Some 9.5 kilometers (5.9 mi) of the Dubai Tram project will be built as part of the first Phase 1.[1] Phase 2 will add 14 more trams and eight more stations along an additional 4 kilometers (2.5 mi) of route.
As of 10 October 2010, the construction work on Dubai Tramway had progressed according to the scheduled completion of 2014.[8] However the project was put on hold a month later due to lack of finances. The construction of the tramway was resumed in January, 2011 with 30% of Phase 1 having been completed.[9] In mid-2014, the tramline entered the testing phase, and it began operation in November 2014.[10][11][12]
Interchange with Palm Gateway Station of Palm Monorail
10
Knowledge Village
قرية المعرفة
11
Al Sufouh
الصفوح
Operations
Typical air conditioned tram station with safety screen doors
The Dubai Tram is operated by Keolis.MHI under contract to the Dubai Roads & Transport Authority.[13][14][15]
There are over 80 certified drivers for the tram. To ensure the safety of the tram and the passengers, every driver is required to take (and pass) an alcohol test before driving the tram. The trams also have a dead man's switch, which the drivers are required to press every three to five seconds, failing which the tram will come to a halt.[16]
Hours of operation and frequency
The Dubai Tram operates from 06:30 until 01:00 except on Fridays when it operates from 09:00 until 01:00.[17]
Fares
The tram has a fixed fare of AED 3 per trip regardless of the distance travelled, making it one of the cheapest fares for trams, compared to other cities. The fare for passengers using the Red Nol Ticket will be AED 4 (US$1.09) per ride.[18]
A Nol Card can be used by passengers to check-in and check-out of the tram by scanning the card at the platform screen doors.
The Dubai Tram use 11 Alstom Citadis 402 trams for Phase 1.[21] The trams are 44 m (144 ft) long with a capacity of 408 passengers.[22] Maximum speed is 50 km/h (31 mph), giving an average operational speed of 20 km/h (12 mph).
The trams use the Alimentation par le Sol II (APS II) ground-level power supply,[22] and so do not need overhead cables.[4] This method was first used in Bordeaux, France. The Dubai Tram is the world's first tram network to use platform screen doors at the stations, as well as a new Supervised Vehicle Operation (SVO) mode that will ensure accurate station stop and safety during passenger transfer.[4][5][6][7] The trams have Gold (first) and silver classes, and space dedicated to women and children.[1][22]
The first tram was presented to Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Road & Transport Authority, at Alstom's La Rochelle factory on 14 June 2013.[22]
Incidents and accidents
Tram on test run in November 2014. Note safety barriers each side of tracks.
2 October 2014 (2014-10-02): During the test run, a car collided with the oncoming tram after jumping a red light signal. According to Dubai Police, neither the driver nor anyone else was injured in the accident but the vehicle sustained damage to its front portion and the tram sustained minimal damage.[23]
17 December 2014 (2014-12-17): The tram service was disrupted for 15 minutes due to a collision between the tram and a car after the car driver read a green light for another lane and mistakenly turned left on a red light, then stopped on the tram's tracks at an intersection in Jumeirah Beach Residence.[24][25]
16 April 2024 (2024-04-16): Due to heavy rain causing floods, the tram service was suspended, however, full service was restored on the next day.[26]
Linking with other networks
The Dubai Tram has 2 stations that are interconnected to 2 Dubai Metro stations:
