RTA to rethink Dubai Metro network

RTA officials say they are 100% certain the Dubai Metro will open on time.

Transport officials said today that the Dubai Metro network is being reconsidered in light of cancellations and delays to construction of developments across the emirate.

Officials said the need for some stations had lessened as projects the system was due to serve have since been put on hold.

Speaking today at a conference to announce the metro’s marketing campaign, officials were adamant the metro is on track to open in September.

But, a planned journey on the metro for members of the press today was cancelled at the last minute without reason.

“We are opening on 09.09.09 and we’re 100% sure of that date,” Peyman Younes Parham, director of the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) marketing and corporate communications, said.

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Last week Mattar Al Tayer, RTA executive director said that not all stations on the metro's Red Line will be open in September because of delays to construction. He said this was the fault of private companies and not the RTA.

In response to a question about this, Parham said: “Everything today is being re-looked at, even the Dubai Strategic Plan.

“A lot of the stations were built to serve projects in that area. As projects are being delayed there isn’t the demand to have the station to serve it.”

Speaking at the same press conference, Ramadan Abdulla Mohammed, director of operations department at RTA Rail Agency, dispelled talk of Dubai’s metro linking with another network planned for Abu Dhabi.

When asked if officials were considering connecting the two systems, he said: “No. It’s for the city of Dubai. It’s not an inter city train service. It’s for the purpose of the city.”

Dubai Metro’s Red Line will be able to transport 23,000 passengers an hour in each direction when it becomes operational in September. The Green Line is due to open in March 2010.