Tuesday, Jun 18, 2013
Dubai: The much awaited Al Sufouh Tram project is on track to open in November 2014 with the first test run of the carriages completed successfully and 62 per cent of the construction work finished, the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) announced on Tuesday.
The tests were conducted in France at the facilities of leading transport firm Alstom in the presence of a high-level RTA delegation led by Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of RTA.
“The trial run is a key milestone in the implementation of Al Sufouh Tramway Project. This trial, conducted on a 700-km-long test track, was intended to assess and verify the readiness of the tram and its functionality as well as the performance of all control systems at all conditions,” said Al Tayer, explaining the importance of the tests.
Tests on the three-coach trams, which will be the first outside Europe to be fed by ground power cables, will continue until they are shipped to Dubai in December this year, where further tests will be conducted.
A fleet of 11 trams will arrive for phase one of the project, while 14 more will join the fleet for phase two.
“Tests were conducted at various speeds on the safety system, electric propulsion system of the tram coaches, braking system, tram’s ability to stop suddenly during emergency cases, ground power feed of the tram track, overhead power feed in the depot, and doors’ operation mechanism,” Al Tayer added, explaining the details of the tests.
The series of tests that follow will cover a variety of aspects including the air-conditioning system, power feed and braking system, coupling of tram coaches, disconnection of power supply, rail surveillance and control system as well as the operational tests of the tram under normal and emergency conditions.
Work on the 14.6-km-long sophisticated transit system that serves Jumeirah Beach Residence, Marina and Al Sufouh neighborhoods began around three years ago and will be completed in two phases, with the first phase consisting of 10.6 kilometres of tramway and 11 passenger stations. The entire tram network will have 17 stations.
The initial phase will stretch between Dubai Marina and the Tram Depot near the Dubai Police Academy. The tram is expected to carry about 27,000 riders per day at the start of operations in 2014 and ridership is touted to hit up to 66,000 riders per day by 2020.
With three coaches, each with a capacity to accommodate 300 riders at a time, every tram will have a Gold Suite, a cabin for ladies and children as well as a Silver Class cabin.
The fares for the tram will be charged through the Automatic Fare Collections system (Nol),which is applicable for all transit means in Dubai.
Adding to the convenience of the commuters, the tramway links with the Dubai Metro at three stations along Shaikh Zayed Road via footbridges. It also links with the Monorail of The Palm Jumeirah.
According to RTA, Al Sufouh Tram project is the world’s first tramway project powered by a ground-based electric supply system extending all along the track. It is also the world’s first tramway that uses Platform Screen Doors in passenger stations fully aligned with the tram’s door opening and shutting mechanism.
By Shafaat Shahbandari ?Staff Reporter
Gulf News 2013. All rights reserved.
