40 million passengers on Dubai Metro in first three months of the year

The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) announced the Dubai Metro’s Red and Green Lines carried 40,655,978 passengers during the first quarter, which is 7.3 million more than the same period in 2013.

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DUBAI // More than 40 million people travelled on Dubai’s Metro in the first quarter of this year.

The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) announced the Dubai Metro’s Red and Green Lines carried 40,655,978 passengers during the first quarter, which is 7.3 million more than the same period in 2013.

“The number of metro riders during the first three months of this year constitute a solid indicator that the Dubai Metro has become one of the prime transit means commanding the attention of the Dubai residents, visitors and tourists, offering smooth mobility and access to key parts of the city in a way that measures up to the needs and expectations of users,” said Abdullah Yousef Al Ali, acting chief executive of RTA Rail Agency.

The number of passengers using the Red Line during the first quarter of this year was 26,138,923 passengers, a 20 per cent rise on the same period last year. While the Green Line saw a 26 per cent increase in the number of users, reaching 14,517,055 riders.

Metro trains travelled up and down the Red Line 30,400 times during the first quarter of this year, a 15 per cent increase from the same period in 2013. The number of times trains travelled the Green Line reached 23,876, more than three times more than the same period last year.

Deira City Centre station on the Red Line was the busiest station clocking 1,841,072 passengers, followed by Burj Khalifa–Dubai Mall Station with 1,813,854. The Union Station is the third busiest with 1,705,712 people.

Al Fahidi Station was the busiest on the Green Line recording a ridership of 1,657,650 passengers, followed by Bani Yas Station with 1,609,747, and then Al Ghubaiba Station with 1,207,237 people.

“This year has witnessed a remarkable growth in the number of metro riders compared with the previous year; which has always been the core of our plans tailored to delivering a whole host of initiatives and service improvements capable of enticing all community members to use the metro as a primary transit means characterised by security, luxury and safety,” said Mr Al Ali.

He added that Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid’s plans to transform metro stations into art galleries would help to attract more people to the system.

malkhan@thenational.ae