- Title: UAE: Dubai metro system due to open in 2009
- Date: 29th May 2008
- Summary: VARIOUS OF UNDERGROUND METRO TUNNEL
- Embargoed: 13th June 2008 13:00
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- Topics: Transport
- Reuters ID: LVA5ETLK4YVQ23M4AFWT6TKFX8FF
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- Story Text: Dubai's commuters are moving closer to the day when they won't have to deal with the city's infamous gridlock traffic any longer.
Next year, a complex metro system covering 70 kilometres and calling at 47 stations is expected to be complete.
The planned Red and Green lines will together cover most major areas of the city including the International airport, the American University and major shopping malls. The tunnels are almost complete and the train rails are set to be laid.
"This tunnel is now coming to its final stages. The tunnel is completed, what we call the invert concrete finished. We've left these steel bars sticking up, which I'm sure have been a problem for you to walk along, but this is now for the track system. We now bring in a specialist contractor who will lay the track. That is done in a two-stage process. First of all, the rails are welded together into 200 metre long lengths. Then they are supported and aligned absolutely perfectly with adjustments every 500 metres. And then, the plinth is concreted," said project director for Dubai Metro's consultancy, Anthony Burchell.
The Dubai metro is expected to carry 1.2 million passengers per day, 27,000 passengers per hour for each line, and 355 million passengers per year once both lines are fully operational -- relieving the strain on the emirate's road system. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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