First Dubai Tram coaches arriving

The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has announced the arrival of the first Dubai tram coaches to Jebel Ali port in the middle of this week.

The tram which was shipped from France on 21 November, consists of 7 coaches and constitutes the first batch of 11 trams in the first phase, with nearly 14 trams to be added in the second phase to make a total of 25 Trams.

Trams shipment in France

Mattar Al Tayer, RTA Chairman and Executive Director, said, "At the end of this month, the RTA will run the technical run of the tram in the depot's rails, and the test run will then be carried out in distance of about 2 kilometers outside the depot."

He pointed out that this process would continue and expand gradually until the official operation of the tram later in November 2014.

"Over the past months, the contractor has conducted the first technical test run of the tram on the 700-meter test track in Alstom Factory in France. The tests included various speeds, safety systems, electric propulsion of tram coaches, braking systems, sudden stop in emergency cases, and ground electric feed of the tram track, in addition to the catenary cables which will be used in the depot, and tram doors operation."

Trams shipment in France

The technical test run undertaken in the factory also ensured the readiness of the tram, proper operation and performance of all control systems in all circumstances, air-conditioning system, brakes electric feeding systems, coupling process, which is a mechanism for connecting rolling stock in the tram, power supply disconnection, monitoring & control system, in addition to operational tests of the tram during both normal and emergency operation.

Al Tayer stated that the test run conducted at the Alstom's plant was successful by all means as the tram moved smoothly without wobble or noise thanks to the ground power feed in the entire tram track.

Dubai tram is the world's first tramway project powered by a ground-based electric supply system extending along the track, thus obviating the need for catenary cables.

Al Tayer further added, "The Dubai Tramway extends 14.6 km alongside Al Sufouh Road, and the initial Phase of the project envisages the construction of a 10.6 km-long track starting from the Dubai Marina and stretching up to the Tram Depot near Dubai Police Academy.

The Tram network comprises 17 passenger stations, 11 of which are covered under Phase I and spread across activity and population density areas along the tramway. The fleet comprises 11 trams in the initial phase, and 14 trams will be added in Phase II to make a total of 25 operating trams. The tram is expected to lift about 27,000 riders per day at the start of operations in 2014, and the ridership is bound to hit 66,000 riders per day by 2020.

Trams shipment in France