The Dubai Metro extension linking the city to the Expo 2020 site will open to passengers on January 1, Dubai Media Office has revealed.
Route 2020 will initially provide access to four stations serving some of Dubai’s largest communities – Jebel Ali, The Gardens, Discovery Gardens and Al Furjan – all of which are currently accessible only by bus or car.
The remaining three stations – Jumeirah Golf Estates, Dubai Investments Park and 2020 Expo – will open later in 2021.
The new 15-kilometre section of Dubai Metro’s Red Line, representing an investment of US$3 billion, will transport millions of visitors to the Expo site when it opens in October 2021.
From January 1, six trains an hour will serve Jebel Ali, The Gardens, Discovery Gardens and Al Furjan, with waiting time of approximately 10 minutes. In addition 19 buses will serve the four stations, connecting metro passengers with other areas of Dubai.
The service will run from 5am to midnight, Saturday to Wednesday, 5am to 1am on Thursday and 10am to 1am on Friday.
Route 2020 has the capacity to accommodate 46,000 passenger per hour in both directions with RTA studies predicting it will serve 125,000 passengers daily in 2021, rising to 275,000 by 2030.
Studies also reveal that Expo Station is expected to serve about 35,000 daily Expo visitors during weekdays, increasing to 47,000 daily visitors during weekends. This number accounts for 29 per cent of the total expected number of daily visitors to Expo.
