Dubai Metro Red Line  

Dubai Metro Red Line

The Dubai Metro Red Line is the first Dubai Metro railway to open in Dubai, on 09 September 2009, and runs between Rashidiya and Jebel Ali with the route running parallel to Dubai Creek past Dubai Airport and Deira City Center, then under the creek and across through Bur Dubai and along Sheikh Zayed Road. First stations opened to the public on 10 September 2009, with the remaining stations were scheduled to open by end of February 2010 but delayed until April 2010 and later.

• 20 February 2010 press release - the RTA announces a new completion date for the Dubai Metro Red Line of 25 April 2010 with Emirates, Airport Terminal 1, GGICO, Al Karama, World Trade Center, Dubai Marina, and Ibn Battuta stations opening on that date and the remainder opening later in 2010 (exact dates not supplied).
• 17 February 2010 - work has restarted on the Dubai Metro Red Line as of 07 February 2010 according to a Financial Times report, which said that an agreement over outstanding debts had been reached. Maybe the red line stations will open by April 2010 ... or May ... or June ...
• 09 January 2010 - Reports of delays are denied by the RTA on their official blog which said "RTA was surprised with some media channels circulating inaccurate reports about the project; whose work progress can be seen by everyone at various sites" and the "Dubai Rail Link (DURL) Consortium is continuing with the construction works of Dubai Metro Project according to the planned schedule"
• January 2010 - work on the remaining Red Line stations and the Green Line has stopped due to the Japanese contractors not being paid according to some press reports.
• January 2010 - some media reports that opening date of the remaining red line stations will be pushed back to April 2010.
• 04 January 2010 - Burj Dubai (renamed as the Burj Khalifa) metro station opens
• 10 September 2010 - first 10 stations of the Red Line open to the general public. Official opening ceremony was held the night before, at 9pm on 09-09-09.

Dubai Metro Red Line list of stations

Stations highlighted in green are transfer stations with the Dubai Metro Green Line.

1. Dubai Metro Red Line stations renamed

• GGICO Station - was Al Garhoud Station
• Khalid Bin Walid Station - was Burjuman Square, renamed in August 2009 after the Burjuman Center and the RTA could not agree on the fee for naming rights.
• First Gulf Bank Station - was Burj Al Arab Station
• Energy Station - was Dubal Station (Dubai Aluminium Company), renamed in August 2009
• Sharaf DG - was Al Barsha Station
• Limitless Station - was JAFZ Station?

2. Some station names seen referred to but unconfirmed (or no longer part of the Red Line - total of 35 stations mentioned in past reports)

• Jebel Ali Port Station - JAFZ / Limitless Station? Or deleted station?
• American University of Dubai Station - unknown
• Internet City Station - Nakheel Station?
• Souk al Nakheel Station - unknown
• Trade Center Station - same
• Al-Ittihad Square Station - Union Square
• Salahuddin Station - on the Green Line (was an error?)

Dubai Metro Red Line opening date

Ten stations of the Red Line opened to the public on 10 September 2009 (the official opening ceremony was held on 09 September 2009 but trains were not in public operation), opening dates for the remaining 19 stations were to be staggered between September 2009 and February 2010, but look likely to be all closer to the end of February 2010, or possibly April 2010.

• 24 January 2010: Maktoob Business repeated the 7 Days speculation that the opening date of the remaining Red Line stations would be pushed back to April 2010 due to alleged payment delays from the RTA to the Japanese contractors building the Dubai Metro, and quoting an unnamed source as saying "Right now work has slowed down because of payment issues". Maktoob Business said the RTA declined to comment on the report.
• 21 January 2010: 7 Days newspaper carried a report that quoted Abdul Majeed Al Khaja, CEO of the rail agency saying "Contractors have asked for an extension and we have given them until April to complete the work," implying that the opening date of the remaining Red Line stations would be delayed until April 2010. 7 Days was unable to obtain further comment from contractors or the RTA.
• 04 January 2010: The Burj Dubai metro station opened on the same day as the Burj Dubai, renamed as the Burj Khalifa. Unknown yet if the station will be renamed the Burj Khalifa metro station.
• 15 December 2009: The Burj Dubai metro station might open at the same time as the official Burj Dubai opening date on 04 January 2009. The RTA Director of Marketing and Communications, Peyman Younes Parham, said "We are thinking about it ..."
• A report in The National 05 December 2009 repeated the November 2009 comment from Mr Parham of the RTA that the remaining Red Line stations would be open by the end of February 2010.
• An RTA press release 14 November 2009 said "RTA is all set to phase out the opening of the stations in February 2010" indicating that the RTA had made a decision after all. Unless they hadn't, and had meant to say "by February 2010" instead of "in February 2010". Or perhaps they plan to open the remaining stations in stages during February 2010.
• An Emirates Business 24-7 report 09 November 2009 quoted Peyman Younes Parham, Director of Marketing and Corporate Communications, RTA, as saying "We will open all stations on the Red Line by February 2010. We still do not know if we will do it in phases or in one go"

Red Line information and background

• Red Line total distance is 52.1 km (about 32 miles) (or 52.9km?) from Rashidiya to Jebel Ali, but there is an extension to the Abu Dhabi border planned, and also a possible branch under consideration from Dubal Station into the Downtown Jebel Ali area.
• Red Line distance for the underground section is about 4.7 km (about 2.9 miles).
• Rashidiya to Jebel Ali trip time expected to be about 1 hour, with average speed 40-50 km/hr (not 110 km/hr as seen in some sources - that's the maximum speed).
• The Red Line runs from Rashidiya Terminal along the Deira side of Dubai Creek, past the Dubai Airport and Deira City Center to the Union Square interchange with the Green Line. The track then goes under the creek to the Burjuman Center at the Khalid Bin Walid interchange, also with the Green Line, emerges from its underground section shortly after and follows Trade Center Road and Sheikh Zayed Road to the Jebel Ali Terminal.
• Total number of Red Line stations is 29, with 10 opening on 09 September 2009 and the remainder opening at different times until February 2009 when all Red Line stations are expected to be open. Update: it appears that the 19 remaining stations will not open until February 2010 (RTA press release 14 November 2009, exact date not supplied).
• Original plans had a possible 35 stations? Obviously some were deleted if that was the case.
• Transfer stations (underground) with the Green Line at Union Square and Khalid Bin Waleed Station.
• Total of 24 stations will be elevated above ground, 1 station at ground level, and 4 stations underground.
• Carriage dimensions are approximately width 3.2 meters and height 3.8 meters, seating capacity about 50, with separate carriages for women and children, and VIP Gold Card or ticket holders.
• Estimated cost of the Red Line in 2005 was AED 9.4 billion (US$2.56 billion). Increased to about AED 18 billion by August 2009 (our estimate)?

Dubai Metro Red Line extension to Abu Dhabi border

• There are plans to extend the Dubai Metro Red Line from Jebel Ali to the Abu Dhabi border with Dubai, an additional 12-16 km (different figures reported).
• An additional 6 stations are expected to be constructed.
• Park and Ride carpark planned for the border station.
• Completion date unknown.

Dubai Metro Red Line construction schedule and timeline

Dubai Metro Red Line operating information

• Train frequency was intended to be every 3-4 minutes during peak hours, and 7 minutes during off peak times but RTA advertising in August 2009 says every 10 minutes.
• Total of 62 trains to operate on the Red Line ... eventually ... or 55 trains according to August 2009 reports, but only 11 trains will operate when the red metro first starts up. RTA advertising in August 2009 says 44 trains.
• Passenger capacity initially estimated at about 11,000-12,000 per hour on 51 trains, possibly rising to 25,000-26,000 passengers per hour on 106 trains.

Dubai Metro Red Line Park n Ride facilities

• Rashidiyah - 2700 / 2750 cars
• Nakheel Harbour & Tower - 3000 car parks
• Jebel Ali Industrial -

Last update Sunday 21-Feb-2010

Related pages

• Dubai Metro - general information
• Dubai Metro Nol cards - Dubai Metro ticket and fare information
• Dubai Metro - Dubai Metro forum discussion and Q&A
• Jumeirah Palm metro - eventually expected to connect to the Red Line.

Related websites (new window)

• Dubai Metro website - list of official and unofficial Dubai Metro websites
• Dubai directory - add your link free

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