The Dubai Metro Gold Line has been described as one of the Middle East’s most ambitious engineering projects, one that will spur the city's continuing growth.
Analysts say that despite the tight timetable, with the route due for completion in just over six years’ time, they are confident it will open on schedule.
Announced this week, the Dh34 billion ($9 billion) line will stretch to 42km, extending the network by more than a third, with some of the tracks as much as 40 metres underground.
Joseph Salem, partner and head of travel, transportation and hospitality practice at the management consultancy Arthur D Little Middle East, which has for many years worked closely with Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), said creating the new line is challenging on many levels.
“The project is expected to be one of the most challenging, if not the most challenging logistics project in the Middle East, and to set new standards,” he told The National.
He said the scale of the underground tunnels, the geology of loose sand and limestone, the fact that it will be constructed under busy built-up areas and the need to integrate with the existing Metro lines and national rail make it a complex project.
Full speed ahead
It will be built while the Metro’s Blue Line is under construction, adding to the complexity.
“It’s expected to be delivered with a speed 30 per cent faster than the Blue Line,” he said. “The RTA is looking to leverage the key learning from the Blue Line in the deployment of the assets.
“There are some other aspects – the fact that it will be 40 metres underground – deep excavations, significant for fire and public safety, with complex ventilation. Access in and out should be well managed. That’s why it’s going to set a record never seen in the Middle East.”
Ground-breaking plan
The Gold Line will be Dubai’s first fully underground Metro line, its depth reflecting the need to avoid existing infrastructure on a route built up with commercial and residential developments.
“From a transport planning perspective, underground tunnels allow metros to serve dense urban areas with minimal surface disruption and segregation,” said Martin Tillman, founder of TMP Consult, a UAE-based transport planning and mobility consultancy.
“We’ve seen this in cities like London and Paris, where underground rail serves existing areas, as well as being a catalyst for the development of new areas supporting high-demand corridors.”
He described the new line as “a game-changer in the evolution of Dubai’s transport network”.
“It is not just another extension, but signals a move towards a more mature, higher capacity rail system designed to support long-term growth and firmly place Dubai as global transit city,” he said.
Echoing this, Mr Salem said the Gold Line would be an “economic multiplier”, addressing a deficit in connectivity that had constrained growth in some areas.
It will also unlock public transport access for up to 1.5 million residents in areas such as Al Barsha or Dubai Hills underserved by the existing network, and spur further real estate development.
The line should reduce demand on the Dubai Metro Red Line, which Mr Salem said was reaching capacity at peak hours.
“It will [also] ease access to the national rail system that will eventually be operated by Etihad Rail,” he said.
Boosting connectivity
The new line, which will link to 55 development projects, will have 18 stations at locations including Al Ghubaiba, Business Bay, Nad Al Sheba, Al Barsha South and Jumeirah Village Circle before ending at Jumeirah Golf Estates, where it will connect with Etihad Rail. There will also be connections to the Red Line and the Green Line.
This connectivity will make the Gold Line part of a national transport network rather than simply a city Metro line, according to Mr Salem.
Dr Alexandra Gomes, a research fellow at the London School of Economics who has analysed Gulf transport and urban planning, said investing in mass rail systems could decrease car use, support sustainable development, reduce deaths and lower emissions.
“The Metro is anticipated to cut road traffic congestion by up to 20 per cent. However, if it is primarily linking to 55 planned mega-development projects that do not yet exist, it may largely serve new residents moving into these areas rather than shifting existing car drivers on to public transport,” she said.
To maximise benefits from the new line, she said it was important to create connections to areas not covered by the Metro and other transport modes, such as through rapid bus services, providing another alternative to car transport for people living farther from stations. She said improving walkability for those living nearer stations was essential.
Another key issue, Dr Gomes said, was whether other UAE or Gulf cities would invest in reliable mass public transport capable of moving large numbers of people, to develop “in a more compact, connected and co-ordinated way”.
While the Gold Line is seen as ambitious and challenging in engineering terms, Mr Salem said there was “zero per cent” chance that it would not be delivered on time, saying that in his 15 years in Dubai he had never seen a major publicly funded and supported project failing to hit its deadlines.
