Dubai, August 1, 2004 (WAM)--Dubai's dream of a sophisticatedurban rail system is getting nearer to reality with the expected announcement this month or early next month of the shortlisted biddersin the pre-qualification process, reported Khaleej Times today.
According to sources in the construction industry, six potentialbidders for the Dh14.3 billion Light Rail Project have been shortlistedfrom more than 50 bidders for the civil content of the project.
They include four contracting joint ventures and two stand-alonebidders. It is learnt that the potential four joint ventures that aresaid to be among the top-six are: Bilfinger Taisei / Besix, Boygues/ Vinci/Hochtief/ CC IC, Consorcio Dutco Balfour Beatty/ RoyalBam-Interbeton/Parsons Transportation and Obayashi/ Yapi Merkezi.
The two stand-alone bidders include the Saudi-based Bin LadenGroup and Odebrecht, a South African company. Out of 14.3 billion capitalcost, Dh5.5 billion will be for civil engineering work and a fleet of99 five-car trains will be maintained at a depot in the Al Quoz Industrialarea.
The noise-free and environmentally friendly metro system, thefirst phase of which is to be ready by 2009, will have two lines. Thefirst called the Red Line will stretch 50 kilometres and will link Rashidiyain the north east to Jebel Ali Port in the south west.
Around 45.3 kilometres of the red line will be elevated abovethe ground level and there will be 29 elevated and six underground stations.
The Green Line will stretch 19.2 kilometres and will be extendedto serve the Deira and Bur Dubai central areas up to BurJuman and Wafishopping centres. It will also serve Dubai International Airport wheretwo stations will be situated at separate terminals.
The metro system will be constructed in two phases. The firstvalued at Dh8.5 billion will require a fleet of 57 trains, which are expectedto be up and running on the red line by 2010 and phase two will tentativelybe completed by 2013.
There will be a total of 55 stations across the Emirate of Dubai,each built at one to three kilometre gaps. Moreover, the train fares willrange between Dh 2 to Dh 10 and there are also plans to use the rail networkfor goods train at night to make the project more feasible.
It is anticipated that the metro system will carry an averageof 43,000 passengers every hour to meet the demand for public transportbeyond 2017 and the project will outweigh the costs as the populationof Dubai is expected to reach three million by 2020.
The trains will run automatically and without a driver with specialcompartment for women and children.
This project will eventually reduce the pressure from Dubai'sroad network as since the last three decades, the municipality has built9100 lane -km of roads at a cost of Dh8.4 billion, according to NasserAhmed Saeed, director of Roads Department and the general co-coordinatorfor the rail project.
