The Dubai Expat Diaries

The first Dubai Metro train will reach here in March, according to Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of Roads & Transport Authority (RTA).

Each train, in the Red and Green lines, consists of five carriages capable of accommodating about 643 commuters. The coaches are classified into two classes — Golden Class and Silver Class. The Golden Class is situated at the front of the train, comprising 18 deluxe seats, with luxurious interior fittings, more spacious leather seats and panoramic view across the front window of the train. The coach, which includes a section dedicated to women and children, is wide enough to accommodate prams and luggage to ensure safety and convenience for women and children. The Silver Class comprises four coaches with 104 seats each. The multiple grab handles provide safe hold for standing passengers.

News Source: http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticleNew.asp?xfile=data/theuae/2008/January/theuae_January287.xml&section=theuae&col=

About the Dubai Metro

The Dubai Metro (In Arabic: مترو دبي) is a driverless, fully automated metro network under construction in the United Arab Emirates city of Dubai. The network will have two third rail collection system powered lines that will both run underground in the city center and on elevated viaducts elsewhere on double tracks. The first phase of the network is being built by Dubai Rapid Link (DURL) Consortium which comprises Japanese companies including Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Mitsubishi Corporation, Obayashi Corporation, Kajima Corporation and the Turkish company Yapi Merkezi. The Dubai Metro will be operated by the Dubai Road and Transport Authority. The Dubai Metro system will be the longest fully automated rail system in the world. Completion of the first section of the system is projected for 2009.

Dubai Metro network
There are four lines which use 99 five-car trains each 75-meters long with seats for 400 passengers:

• Red Line: 50 kilometres (31 mi) line with 35 stations from Jebel Ali Port, the American University in Dubai, through the city centre, and to the Airport Free Zone.
• Green Line: 20 kilometres (12 mi) line with 22 stations from Festival City, through the city centre, Dubai International Airport Terminals 1 and 3, and to Rashidiya.
• Blue Line: 47 kilometres (29 mi) line along Emirates Road, exact route currently unknown.
• Purple Line: 49 kilometres (30 mi) line along Al Khail Road, meant to be an express route between Dubai International Airport and Al Maktoum International Airport (formerly Dubai World Central International Airport.

Read more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dubai_Metro