Metro MEP works nearly complete

A rendering of a completed Dubai Metro station

Electromechanical works on the 19 remaining stations of the Dubai Metro’s Red Line are 80% to 97% complete, with the opening of these scheduled for February 2010, according to His Excellency Mattar Al Tayer, RTA chairman and executive director.

The Command and Control Centre at Rashidiya, one of the most sophisticated of its kind in the Middle East, is also scheduled to be inaugurated in February 2010.  The centre will enable full control of the daily operation of the Metro service on both the Red and Green Lines. The centre will be a hub for controlling, supervising and monitoring train movement and related systems, such as telecom, electrical transformers and power feeders to both the rolling stock and the Metro stations.

It will also enable supervision of safety systems such as fire extinguishing and firefighting services, ventilation systems for the tunnels, stations and trains, and train air-con systems, as well as the safety of doors, brakes and engines on each train separately.

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The centre also provides a means of communication with train passengers through an onboard communications system fitted in the carriages and the control room, which is for use in emergency situations.

Electromechanical works at Mall of the Emirates station have reportedly reached 90% completion, 88% at GGICO station and 95% completion at Karama station, while MEP works at the World Trade Centre station have been completed fully. Pilot technical testing of the latter is underway to ascertain its preparedness for operation, while final touches are being made to the Emirates Towers station to prepare it for its technical trial run. Electromechanical works are 85% complete at the Al Qouz and Dubai Marina stations, while Ibn Battuta station has achieved 95% completion.

Al Tayer expressed his overall satisfaction with the progress of the MEP works on the Dubai Metro, and commended the diligent efforts of all involved to achieve the planned opening date. The project was opened officially in September, with only ten stations ready in time. The Green Line is due to begin operations during mid-2010, while the Purple Line has been put on hold due to the economic downturn. The RTA has plans to extend the Red and Green lines over the coming four years, with an additional 12 stations expected to be added to these routes.