Dubai tram system set to begin testing

The first phase of the Dh3 billion, 10.6-kilometre tramway will have 11 stations and will loop around Dubai Marina and Jumeirah Beach Residence to Al Sufouh.

Construction of the Dubai Tram takes place off Al Sufouh Road. The RTA eventually hopes to be running 25 trams to carry 66,000 people a day by 2020. Razan Alzayani / The National

DUBAI // The multibillion-dirham Al Sufouh Tram system is to start testing within two weeks, the Roads and Transport Authority said.

Zone one of the project will have trams using the route between stations at Al Sufouh and Knowledge Village on January 26, but it will not be open to the public.

The first phase of the Dh3 billion, 10.6-kilometre tramway, incorporating zones one, two and three, will have 11 stations and will loop around Dubai Marina and Jumeirah Beach Residence (JBR) to Al Sufouh.

The network will also link to the Jumeirah Lakes Towers and Dubai Marina metro stations.

Zone two of the project is between the Palm Jumeirah and Marina Towers, and testing is scheduled to begin on April 16.

Zone three is between Dubai Marina and JBR, with testing due on June 14.

Initially, 11 trams are expected to carry about 27,000 passengers a day. The RTA hopes eventually to be running 25 trams and carrying 66,000 people a day by 2020.

In September last year it was announced that Serco had agreed a five-year, Dh105 million deal with the RTA to run the service.

The British company also operates Dubai Metro. Dubai Tram is expected to open to the pubic in November this year.