Construction works in several stations of Dubai Metro Green Line completed – Al Tayer

Construction works in several stations of Dubai Metro Green Line completed – Al Tayer

Completion rate of stations’ interior finishing works ranges from 10 to 100 per cent

Roads & Transport Authority – Mohammed Al Munji:
H.E. Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of the Roads & Transport Authority (RTA), announced that construction works in most stations of the Dubai Metro Green Line have been completed, while the completion of stations’ interior finishing works varies from 10 to 100 per cent. Al Tayer revealed that completion rate of Al Qusais Park-and-Ride facility has hit 75 per cent, and confirmed that the project is progressing on schedule towards the planned project opening in August 2011.

The above statement was made during an inspection tour made by Al Tayer of the Dubai Metro Green Line project that took him to the Metro Depot at Al Qusais, Rail Operation Control Center, and the multi-story car park, as well as Etisalat, Al Ittihad, Al Ras and Al Ghubaiba stations.

During the tour, Al Tayer was flanked by the CEO of Rail Agency Adnan Al Hamadi, CEO of Traffic & Roads Agency Maitha bin Udai, Board Member and Head of the Team following up the Hosting of the UITP Congress 2011 in Dubai Mohammed Obaid Al Mulla, Acting CEO of Corporate Administrative Support Services Sector Yousef Jawad Al Rida, and several directors & engineers supervising the project.

Al Tayer set off his tour by inspecting the metro Depot at Al Qusais; a garage constructed for the maintenance & cleaning of the metro carriages, and is fitted with air-conditioners & advanced firefighting systems. It comprises a parking area for train carriages and has a capacity to house 60 trains at a time. It includes Rail Systems Operations Control Center; which ensures the safety of doors, brakes and engines, as well as the air-conditioning systems and other sophisticated electronic sub systems of each train separately. It also contains workshops for carrying out maintenance works, and dedicated workshops for washing and cleaning of train carriages.

Al Tayer inspected the work progress in Rail Systems Operations Control Center; where the contracting company is making the final touches at the Center. Completion rate of the metal structures and external cladding works have almost reached 99%, and the interior finishing works topped 56%. The Center is equipped with state-of-the-art technologies enabling full control of the daily metro operation on both the Red and Green Lines. The Center also provides control, supervision and monitoring of trains traffic & systems through supervising the functionality of the auto train movement and related systems such as the communication systems, electrical transformers, and power feed system for both the rolling stock and the metro stations. It also enables supervision of safety systems such as fire-fighting systems along with ventilation systems in tunnels, stations & trains. The Center also monitors rail air-conditioning systems, and the safety of doors, brakes and engines of each train. It also acts as a point of communication with rail commuters in the event of emergency using the communication systems on board the carriages and the Control Room.

Al Tayer reviewed the work progress in the multi-level Park-and-Ride facility where the completion rate in the parking lot, surrounding roads, bus station and footbridges is nearing 75 per cent. Al Tayer toured the building which has a capacity to house 2350 vehicles and meant to encourage the public to use the metro in their mobility across Dubai Emirate. The building has been designed to provide ample space for feeder buses, ensure smooth traffic flow and accommodate huge numbers of buses at a time. It is also fitted with footbridges linking up with the opposite side of the road to ensure easy and safe access to the metro station, while providing the standard safety measures for passenger movement in the building.
Al Tayer continued his site tour by inspecting the work progress at Etisalat Station; the starting point of the Green Line of Dubai Metro, where the contractor has completed all concrete works, metal structures and platform doors of the station, whereas the completion rate in the external cladding works of the roof reached 63%. The station, which has a capacity to handle 11,000 passengers per hour per direction, measures 130 x 30 meters, and has two entries fitted with escalators and lifts.

Al Tayer then inspected the work progress in Al Ittihad Station; a key transfer stations where the Green and Red Lines meet. The station is considered the world’s biggest metro station spanning an area of 25,000 square meters and has a capacity to handle 22,000 passengers per hour. The Station consists of two levels, extends 230 meters in length and 50 meters in width, and 18 meters in depth. It houses commercial & service outlets for metro users, and has two entry points equipped with lifts & escalators. Four tunnels branch out of the Station bound to Khalid bin Al Waleed & Al Rigga Stations on the Red Line, and Bani Yas & Salah Uddin Stations on the Green Line. Al Tayer attended to a briefing about the work progress in the station, where the contractor has completed concrete works, and metal structures of platform screen doors, as well as interior finishing works, and is currently finalizing electrical and mechanical works.

Al Tayer then inspected the progress of work at Al Ras & Al Ghubaiba Stations; where all construction & civil works have been accomplished and so are the metal structure works in the platforms of the two stations. Completion rate of the interior finishing works exceed 10%. The two stations feature heritage designs depicting the history and legacy of the UAE. The theme of the design revolves around employing the architectural traditional elements used in antique buildings, such as wind towers (Brajeel), oriels (Mashrabia), alleyways (Sukaik), internal arches and others through replicating them in an enhanced manner, while addressing the aesthetic and technical dimensions of those elements such that the heritage-inspired stations would match the traditional Souks in the locality and look like a natural extension of the Heritage & Diving Village, and fit well with the antique control towers currently seen in the area.

At the conclusion of his tour Al Tayer expressed his delight with the work progress in various locations of the project, and commended the efforts of all personnel working tirelessly to accomplish the project. However, he called on the contracting company to commit more efforts to ensure the opening of all stations on time.


Photo captions:
 Al Tayer inspecting the work progress in the metro depot at Al Qusais
 Al Tayer attending to a briefing about the work progress in the Green Line Stations
 Good progress made in the Green Line works
 Metro Depot at Al Qusais

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Palm Utilities awarded ISO 9001:2008 certification for quality management systems

Palm Utilities awarded ISO 9001:2008 certification for quality management systems

Certification affirms success in employing and retaining highly experienced management team in the field of utility services

June 16, 2010
Palm Utilities, a leading private company that provides integrated sustainable utility solutions, has announced that it has recently been awarded the ISO 9001:2008 certification, reaffirming the company’s continuing commitment to maintaining world-class quality standards in its management systems and subsequently ensuring customer satisfaction. The certification – which was granted following the external assessment by Lloyds Register Quality Assurance - is part of the company's strategy to develop an integrated quality program in the field of utility services.

More than 300 employees took part in the entire ISO certification process, which validates the technical expertise and the leadership competency of Palm Utilities’ management team, while reinforcing the company's reputation as a leading utility solution provider and a premier technological innovator. Palm Utilities has been a recognised leader in delivering district cooling, desalination and water purification services and has been responsible for some of the most prestigious utility projects in the region, including The Palm Jumeirah, Jumeirah Lake Towers, Discovery Gardens and The Gardens.

Yousuf Kazim, CEO, Palm Utilities, said: "This ISO certification confirms the success of our strategy to employ and retain a highly experienced and skilled management team. The senior management has been focusing on staff development and work efficiency through the standardisation of work procedures. This step is in line with our objectives of exceeding customer expectations and implementing corporate governance that ensures maximum transparency within the company."

“Palm Utilities’ quality management strategies align well with several core company values such as business sustainability, resulting in a holistic approach to quality. The organization’s QMS model definitely serves as an excellent model for the region’s utilities sector. We commend the management and employees for the exceptional level of team work they displayed in securing the ISO certification,” said Brian Baxter, UAE Service Delivery Manager, Lloyd's Register Quality Assurance Ltd.
Lloyds Register Quality Assurance (LRQA) conducted a two part assessment at Palm Utilities. The first part included a system appraisal involving a review of the quality management system (QMS), policy, quality objectives, quality manual and all the mandatory procedures that are required by the ISO 9001:2008 standards. For the second part, LRQA audited all departments at Palm Utilities, covering their process, procedures and systems to test the QMS system efficiency and effectiveness.

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RTA opens bridges leading to entry & exit points of Rashidiya Metro station on 15 July

RTA opens bridges leading to entry & exit points of Rashidiya Metro station on 15 July


Roads & Transport Authority – Mohammed Al Munji:

H.E. Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of Roads & Transport Authority (RTA), announced that all bridges leading to the entry and exit points of the Park-and-Ride facilities of Rashidiya Metro Station will be opened on 15 July 2010, as the Contractor is currently making the final touches in preparation for the opening of the bridges.

“The final stage of the project includes opening of 10 bridges with a total length of 1500 meters and roads stretching 2500 meters. These bridges ensure free traffic movements along Emirates Road for traffic inbound from Abu Dhabi towards the Parking of the Metro Station. The project also includes improvements at the juncture of Emirates Road and Al Khawaneej Road to streamline traffic flow inbound from Airport Road towards Al Qusais and Sharjah, as well as traffic inbound from Abu Dhabi and Jebel Ali towards Al Khawaneej Road,” said Al Tayer.

He added: “RTA had already opened Phase I of the project whose cost is estimated as 699 million dirham on 09/09/2009 to coincide with the launch of the Dubai Metro. Phase I comprised the construction of free turns connecting with Emirates Road and Airport Road, in addition to two bridges on Al Khawaneej Road to ease the traffic flow from and to the Parking of Rashidiya Metro Station, which has a capacity to house 2750 vehicles. Phase I also provided entries to the Metro Station on two levels for the traffic incoming from Sharjah with a total length of 1000 meters. Such bridges cross Al Khawaneej Road in the direction leading to the Airport Road.
“Constructing the bridges leading to the entry & exit points of Rashidiya Metro Station reflects RTA attention to upgrade the efficiency of roads network, ensure better flow of vehicular movement, and link the Park-and-Ride facilities of the metro stations with roads network in Dubai Emirate, thus encourage more people to use public transport modes.

“Rashidiya Metro Station is one of the key metro stations as it is the starting point of the Red Line of Dubai Metro. It spans an area of 130 X 30 meters and has a capacity to handle 11,000 passengers per hour per direction. The Station has two entry points fitted with elevators and lifts to ease the smooth entry and exit of passengers from and to the station. The Station has a huge park-and-ride facility capable of accommodating 2750 vehicles with the aim of enticing the public to use the metro in their travel within Dubai. The ground level is dedicated to public buses which provide feeder service to the metro stations. Therefore it has been custom-built to accommodate articulated & double-deck buses, and ensure smooth traffic of a large number of buses at a time. The parking lot is linked with footbridges connecting with the opposite side of the road leading to the metro station such that the time spent from the farthest point in a which a vehicle may be parked to the entrance of the station will not exceed 3 minutes. All required safety precautions are well in place inside the parking facility,” elaborated Al Tayer.

RTA Chairman of the Board and Executive Director concluded his remarks saying: “RTA will continue with the construction works on several main and arterial road projects in Dubai to ensure integrated transit systems in the context of its strategy to provide advanced services to all residents, and provide comprehensive solutions ensuring seamless traffic flow in keeping with its vision of providing Safe & Smooth Transport for All across the Emirate.

Captions:
• Mattar Al Tayer
• Layout of bridges leading to Rashidiya Metro Station Project