Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has signed an agreement with Siemens to help develop its ability to produce spare parts for the Dubai Metro using 3D printing technology. A statement by the RTA said the agreement “enhance RTA’s already applied 3D printing initiative”, as well as extending the sourcing, availability and reliability of spare parts for the metro. The RTA began using 3D printing technology for some of the metro subsystems last year.

Abdul Mohsin Ibrahim Younes, CEO of Rail Agency for the RTA, said: “Joining forces with an international company such Siemens would certainly empower RTA to realise its technological targets and innovation objectives as per the timeline scheduled for the evolvement of 3D printing technology at the maintenance operation of the Rail Agency.”

Alexander Biron von Curland, a senior executive vice president for Siemens Middle East’s mobility business, said: “We are proud to be working with the RTA to advance industrialised 3D printing in Dubai, in line with the emirate’s vision to be the world’s smartest city.

“Siemens has been a pioneer of 3D printing worldwide, and this digital technology is changing the way we design and manufacture spare parts for mobility systems such as metros.”

Usage of the Dubai Metro has steadily increased each year since operations began. Earlier this month, the RTA said that more than 100 million riders used the metro in the first half of this year, with over 64 million using the red line and 36 million using the green line. Metro journeys made up 34 percent of the 275 million trips taken on public transport in Dubai this year, including buses, the Dubai Tram and RTA taxis.

© Zawya 2017