RTA starts trial run of Dubai Tram on 2.5km-long track

RTA starts trial run of Dubai Tram on 2.5km-long track

Roads & Transport Authority - Mohammed Al Munji:

The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has yesterday (Sunday) embarked on the technical trial run of the Dubai Tram on a track extending 2.5 km from the Tram Depot at Al Safouh.

H.E. Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of the RTA, was delighted with this step which is considered a milestone in the construction of the Dubai Tram project, adding that the technical trial run would continue till the official operation of the tram service in the final quarter of this year. The test track would be expanded in the near future to cover the entire tramway, he noted.

“Road users will start to see the Dubai Tram on the move on roadsides at Al Safouh, Jumeirah Beach Residence and the Marina. The tram track will intersect with vehicular & pedestrian traffic at certain points; which warrants motorists in particular and road users in general to be more attentive and compliant with the rules and regulations governing the tram operation, and adhere to the directional signage in place to ensure streamlined traffic movement,” explained Al Tayer.

“During the experiment the tram moved at varying speeds and tests were conducted covering the safety systems, power propulsion of tram carriages, brake system, sudden braking during emergencies, ground electrical feed along the tram track, overhead power feed used in the Depot, and the tram’s doors operation.

“During the technical trial run, tests were conducted to ensure the readiness of the train along with the functioning and performance of all control systems under all conditions. Tests covered a wide range of issues such as the air-conditioning system, electrical feed & braking system, coupling of tram coaches, disconnecting power supply, rail surveillance & control system, and testing the train under normal as well as emergency conditions,” elaborated Al Tayer.

“The technical trial run made for the tram in the depot was all success. The tram moved smoothly without wobbling or noises as it is powered by ground electrical feed stretching along the track. The Dubai Tram is considered the first of its type outside Europe powered by ground feed with no catenary cables involved,” he further added.

The Dubai Tramway extends 14.6 km alongside Al Sufouh Road, and the initial Phase of the project envisages the construction of a 10.6 km-long track starting from the Dubai Marina and stretching up to the Tram Depot near Dubai Police Academy. The Tram network comprises 17 passenger stations, 11 of which are covered under Phase I and spread across activity and population density areas along the tramway. The fleet comprises 11 trams in the initial phase, and 14 trams will be added in Phase II to make a total of 25 operating trams. The tram is expected to lift about 27,000 riders per day at the start of operations in the initial phase in 2014, and the ridership is bound to pick up to hit 66,000 riders per day by 2020.

Each train measures 44 meters in length and has a capacity to accommodate about 300 riders. The Tram has a First Class (Gold Suite) and one cabin designated for ladies & children as well as a Silver Class cabin. The tram's carriages & stations will have deluxe interior finishing, and feature state-of-the-art technologies in the transmission and display of entertainment materials, with a passenger platform extends 44 meters. The terminal is fitted with a glazed barrier extending along the platform and automated opening & shutting doors, along with automated fare collection systems.

The tram track basically extends at grade level along Al Sufouh Road but rises in an elevated section passing across certain parts of Dubai Marina due to the urban constructions in the locality. It links up with the Metro system at 2 stations, namely Dubai Marina and Jumeirah Lakes Towers via footbridges to facilitate the mobility and exchange of passengers between the two transit modes. The Tram will also be linked with the Monorail of The Palm Jumeirah at the entrance of the Palm from Al Sufouh Road to facilitate passenger movement between districts served by both modes.

Al Sufouh Tram is considered the world's first tramway project powered by a ground-based electric supply system extending along the track, thus obviating the need for catenary cables. It is also the world's first tramway that uses Platform Screen Doors in passenger stations fully synchronized with the tram's doors opening and shutting mechanism, providing maximum convenience, safety and security for passengers, and at the same time protecting the quality of the air-conditioning in the interior of both stations and carriages from external climatic conditions.

First Dubai Tram coaches arrive in Jebel Ali Port this week

First Dubai Tram coaches arrive in Jebel Ali Port this week

Al Tayer: Test run starts in depot at the end of the month

RTA, Mohammed Al Munji

The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has announced the arrival of the first Dubai tram coaches to Jebel Ali port in the middle of this week. The tram which was shipped from France on 21 November, consists of 7 coaches and constitutes the first batch of 11 trams in the first phase, with nearly 14 trams to be added in the second phase to make a total of 25 Trams.

HE Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of Roads and Transport Authority, said, "At the end of this month, the RTA will run the technical run of the tram in the depot's rails, and the test run will then be carried out in distance of about 2 kilometers outside the depot." He pointed out that this process would continue and expand gradually until the official operation of the tram later in November 2014.

He added: "Over the past months, the contractor has conducted the first technical test run of the tram on the 700-meter test track in Alstom Factory in France. The tests included various speeds, safety systems, electric propulsion of tram coaches, braking systems, sudden stop in emergency cases, and ground electric feed of the tram track, in addition to the catenary cables which will be used in the depot, and tram doors operation."

The technical test run undertaken in the factory also ensured the readiness of the tram, proper operation and performance of all control systems in all circumstances, air-conditioning  system, brakes electric feeding systems, coupling process, which is a mechanism for connecting rolling stock in the tram, power supply disconnection,  monitoring & control system, in addition to operational tests of the tram during both normal and emergency operation.

Al Tayer stated that the test run conducted at the Alstom's plant was successful by all means as the tram moved smoothly without wobble or noise thanks to the ground power feed in the entire tram track. Dubai tram is the world's first tramway project powered by a ground-based electric supply system extending along the track, thus obviating the need for catenary cables.

Al Tayer further added, "The Dubai Tramway extends 14.6 km alongside Al Sufouh Road, and the initial Phase of the project envisages the construction of a 10.6 km-long track starting from the Dubai Marina and stretching up to the Tram Depot near Dubai Police Academy. The Tram network comprises 17 passenger stations, 11 of which are covered under Phase I and spread across activity and population density areas along the tramway. The fleet comprises 11 trams in the initial phase, and 14 trams will be added in Phase II to make a total of 25 operating trams. The tram is expected to lift about 27,000 riders per day at the start of operations in 2014, and the ridership is bound to hit 66,000 riders per day by 2020."

"Each train measures 44 meters in length and has a capacity to accommodate about 300 riders. The Tram has a First Class (Gold Suite) and one cabin designated for ladies & children as well as a Silver Class cabin. The tram's carriages & stations will have deluxe interior finishing, and feature state-of-the-art technologies in the transmission and display of entertainment materials, with a passenger lounge of 44 meters, fitted with a glass barrier extending along the platform,  automatic doors closer / opener and automatic fair collection system," continued Al Tayer.

"The tram track basically extends at grade level along Al Sufouh Road but rises in an elevated section passing across certain parts of Dubai Marina due to the urban constructions in the locality. It links up with the Metro system at 2 stations, namely Dubai Marina and Jumeirah Lakes Towers via footbridges to facilitate the mobility and exchange of passengers between the two transit modes. The Tram will also be linked with the Monorail of The Palm Jumeirah at the entrance of the Palm from Al Sufouh Road to facilitate passenger movement between districts served by both modes," he elaborated.

The Dubai Tram is considered the world's first tramway project powered by a ground-based electric supply system extending along the track, thus obviating the need for catenary cables. It is also the world's first tramway that uses Platform Screen Doors in passenger stations fully aligned with the tram's doors opening and shutting mechanism, providing maximum convenience, safety and security for passengers, and at the same time protecting the quality of the air-conditioning in the interior of both stations and carriages from external climatic conditions.

Captions:

·        Mattar Al Tayer

·        Trams shipment in France

RTA signs Dubai Tram operation contract with Serco

RTA signs Dubai Tram operation contract with Serco

The contract extends 75 months, worth AED 105 million

Dubai- Roads & Transport Authority – Nashwan Atta’ee:
The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) signed yesterday a contract for the operation system of the Dubai Tram with the British Serco Company for a period of 75 months starting August 2013, including 15 months preparations for operation; covering the recruitment & training of employees in addition to 5 years of operation, and the total worth of the contract is AED105 million. The project contractor (Alstom-Besix consortium) will take on the maintenance of the project for 13 years and can be extended for additional 5 years.

The Agreement was signed for the RTA by H.E. Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of the RTA and for Serco by H.E. David Campbell, CEO of Serco for Africa, Middle East, Asia and Australia in the presence of Abdul Mohsin Ibrahim CEO of Strategy & Corporate Governance Sector, Abdullah Al Madani CEO of Corporate Technical Support Services Sector and Abdullah Yousef Al Ali Acting CEO of Rail Agency as well as Zafar Raja CEO of Serco Middle East.
Al Tayer reaffirmed RTA’s unremitting commitment to effectively contribute to boosting the profile of Dubai as a modern metropolis that has all the ingredients of advancement and modernity, which includes deploying state-of-the-art mass transit means to make this vibrant city one of the fastest growing global cities at all fields and by all measurements.
“Serco has been selected for the operation of the Dubai Tram system following a tender put out by the RTA for which a bunch of world-class companies specialized in rail operation & maintenance have taken part.

Following the assessment of proposals submitted, Serco has been nominated for submitting the best offer, and the company has experience in operating and maintaining a number of metro and rail lines across Europe and Australia,” explained Al Tayer.
“As per the contract, the company will provide operation services for all assets of the tram system, and offer transit services to users at high-class standards tailored to the daily changes, besides protecting RTA’s assets, and operating the revenue system, and the collection of Nol cards selling & recharging proceeds. The company will also fully coordinate with both the construction contractor during the tests to be carried out in the pre-operation phase, and the maintenance contractor during the operation period. It will also attend to providing high safety levels for network users and cater to the full coordination and integration between the tram, metro and various transit means. The contract contains an article that provides for the commitment of Serco to transfer the workforce to the RTA, or any other entity selected by the RTA, upon the expiry of the contract,” he added.

“Tasking the operation and maintenance operations of the Dubai Tram to specialized world-class companies is attributed to a host of reasons highlighted by the fact that the operation of the tram warrants experience in scheduling the tram’s operational lines as well as host of sophisticated electronic, computerized and mechanical systems. The decision also underlines the need to minimize the operational costs of the tram through counting on the quality performance of private businesses, and depicts RTA’s keenness to provide top quality services at lower costs, besides freeing the RTA to focus on its core responsibilities of drafting legislations, overseeing the implementation and enforcing compliance therewith. Moreover, the privatization of tram and rail operation is practicable in a number of rail systems across the globe such as London, France, Australia, Korea, and the USA among others.

Accelerated Tempo

Highlighting the Project, Al Tayer said: "The Dubai Tram Project, which is being planned, designed and constructed pursuant to the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, calling for the provision of a sophisticated transit system to serve Jumeirah Beach Residence, Marina and Al Sufouh districts, has witnessed an accelerated work tempo recently. The test run of the Tram was conducted in the facilities of Alstom Company in France, including various tests such as safety systems, electric propulsion system of the tram coaches, braking system, sudden stop during emergency cases, ground power feed of the tram track, overhead power feed in the Depot, and the tram’s doors operation mechanism. Once the trams start arriving in Dubai next December, the RTA will commission other trial tests on the test track and these tests will roll on till the official launch of the tram service in November 2014."
His Excellency David Campbell, CEO of Serco in Africa, Middle East, Asia and Australia, said that he had been absolutely excited to sign the Dubai Tram operation contract with the RTA, considering it an important step cementing the existing strategic partnership between the RTA and Serco, which operates the Dubai Metro Red & Green Lines since inception on 9/9/2009.

Campbell reiterated Serco's commitment to operate the Dubai Tram to the highest global standards of the industry, taking into account the need to boos international & prestigious standing of the Emirate of Dubai in providing mass transit modes, in addition to enhancing RTA's status and achievements made in a record time, placing Dubai at par with the world's advanced cities, despite the huge time lapse between Dubai and many advanced cosmopolitan cities, which had launched their transit network more than two hundred years ago.

Luxury and safety

The Dubai Tramway extends 14.6 km alongside Al Sufouh Road, and the initial Phase of the project envisages the construction of a 10.6 km-long track starting from the Dubai Marina and stretching up to the Tram Depot near Dubai Police Academy. The Tram network comprises 17 passenger stations, 11 of which are covered under Phase I and spread across activity and population density areas along the tramway. The fleet comprises 11 trams in the initial phase, and 14 trams will be added in Phase II to make a total of 25 operating trams. The tram is expected to lift about 27,000 riders per day at the start of operations in 2014, and the ridership is bound to hit 66,000 riders per day by 2020.

The Dubai Tram is considered the world's first tramway project powered by a ground-based electric supply system extending along the track, thus obviating the need for catenary cables. It is also the world's first tramway that uses Platform Screen Doors in passenger stations fully aligned with the tram's doors opening and shutting mechanism, providing maximum convenience, safety and security for passengers, and at the same time protecting the quality of the air-conditioning in the interior of both stations and carriages from external climatic conditions.

Each train measures 44 meters in length and has a capacity to accommodate about 300 riders. The Tram has a First Class (Gold Suite) and one cabin designated for ladies & children as well as a Silver Class cabin. The tram's carriages & stations will have deluxe interior finishing, and feature state-of-the-art technologies in the transmission and display of entertainment materials, with a passenger lounge of 44 meters.

The tram track basically extends at grade level along Al Sufouh Road but rises in an elevated section passing across certain parts of Dubai Marina due to the urban constructions in the locality. It links up with the Metro system at 2 stations, namely Dubai Marina and Jumeirah Lakes Towers via footbridges to facilitate the mobility and exchange of passengers between the two transit modes. The Tram will also be linked with the Monorail of The Palm Jumeirah at the entrance of the Palm from Al Sufouh Road to facilitate passenger movement between districts served by both modes.

Caption:
Al Tayer and Campbell signing the Dubai Tram operation contract

Dubai Tram station construction photos,Al Safouh Tramway project, Dubai Marina, October 2012

Elevated track of Safouh Tramway completed, project completion rate hits 43% - Al Tayer

Elevated track of Safouh Tramway completed, project completion rate hits 43% - Al Tayer

The Roads & Transport Authority – Mohammed Al Munji:
His Excellency Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of the Roads & Transport Authority (RTA), announced the full completion of construction works in the elevated track of Al Safouh Tramway project, adding that the completion rate hit 95% in the design of the transit systems, 62% in the design of civil works, and 50% in utility lines diversion works, such that the overall project completion rate reached about 43%.

Al Tayer made these remarks in a site visit to inspect the work progress in the project during which he was accompanied by the CEO of the Rail Agency Adnan Al Hammadi, and several directors & engineers. Al Tayer inspected the work process in various parts of the project, particularly the elevated track and the utility lines diversion points. Al Tayer was briefed by Al Hammadi about the completion rates in various components of the project which stretches 14.7 km alongside Al Safouh Road. The initial Phase envisages the construction of a 10.7 km-long track starting from Dubai Marina and stretching up to the Mall of the Emirates Station. The Tram network comprises 19 passenger stations 13 of which are covered under Phase I and spread across activity and population density areas along the tram route.

The tram fleet comprises 8 trams in the initial phase, and 17 trams will be added in Phase II such that the total number of operating trams will be 25 trams. The Tram is expected to lift about 5,000 passengers per hour per direction, and each tram measures 44 meters in length and has a capacity to accommodate about 300 passengers. The Tram has a First Class (Gold Suite) and one cabin designated for ladies & children as well as a Silver Class car. The internal finishing of carriages & stations are deluxe and charming, and the tram is fitted with the latest technologies in the transmission and display of entertainment materials. The passenger lounge extends 44 meters and is equipped with Automatic Fare Collections systems.

Highlighting the tram project Al Hammadi said: “Work in the project, which is being constructed by Alstom-Besix Consortium, is progressing according to the approved schedule, and the initial phase of the project is set for completion in the first half of 2014. The tram track basically extends at-grade level along Al Sufouh Road but rises in an elevated section across certain areas of Dubai Marina for reasons dictated by urban structures of the locality. It links up with the metro system in three stations along Sheikh Zayed Road via footbridges to ease the transit and exchange of passengers between the two modes. Al Sufouh Tram will also be linked with the Monorail of The Palm Jumeirah at the entrance of the Palm from Al Sufouh Road to facilitate passenger traffic between districts served by both projects.

Al Sufouh Tram is considered the world’s first tramway project powered by an electric supply system extending along the track, thus obviating the need for catenary cables. It is also the world's first tramway that uses platform screen doors in passenger stations fully aligned with the tram's doors opening and shutting mechanism, providing maximum convenience, safety and security for passengers, and at the same time protecting the efficiency of the air-conditioning quality in the interior of both stations and carriages from the external climatic effects.

Caption:
Al Tayer inspecting the elevated track of Al Safouh Tramway