Metro design finalised

01 Feb 2007

Dubai: The interior design of train compartments for Dubai Metro is based on water and air theme. Each train will have five compartments, said a senior official.

"The Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has finalised the interior design of trains - which will be built in Japan - to be used for Dubai Metro," said Abdul Redha Abu Al Hassan, Director of Planning and Design of Dubai Metro at the RTA.

The manufacturing of trains will start this month in Japan and the first train will reach Dubai by March 2008.

"Initially, we will receive 44 trains for the Red Line which will be complete by September 2009. A total of 87 trains, including 62 for the Red Line and 25 for the Green Line, will be used for the Metro," said Al Hassan.

Mohammad Al Ruwaishid, Rail Design Manager at the RTA, said each train would cost Dh500 million. The total cost for the 87 trains will be around Dh4.35 billion.

Each train will consist of five compartments with maximum capacity of 897 passengers in peak hours. It has been designed to accommodate four passengers per square metre.

Every train will have three classes - the Golden Class, the Women and Children Class and the Silver Class. The Silver Class, which is economy class, will be given three out of five compartments while the other two will use one compartment each.

The interiors of all compartments will be coloured blue while the exterior of the train is blue and silver.

The Golden Class [open to all but for an extra charge] will have luxurious interiors with leather seating. The Women and Children compartments will have plenty of space for strollers and bags to ensure a safe and comfortable journey for women and children. They are also free to use other compartments of their choice.

The Silver Class has been finished in a combination of blues and greens. Seating is arranged in a variety of ways, giving passengers the choice between admiring views from the windows or discussions with friends. Great safety measures have been taken for both seated and standing passengers.

All compartments will have reserved wheelchair spaces for special needs people.

There will be policy of priority seating for the elderly, injured, special needs people and pregnant women.

Train compartments will be equipped with audiovisual devices. Visual and audio announcement facilities will be available to serve different categories, especially those with special needs.

Clear signage will show the route map of the metro and other directions for passengers.

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