Dubai: Dubai Metro’s Red Line has four new stations that opened up to passengers from January 1, 2020. The new stations, which are part of the Expo 2020 Extension Line, began operations at the start of the year, but how exactly will this help your Metro journey. Here is all you need to know.
Where are the stations located?
The Red Line on the Dubai Metro runs from Etisalat Metro Station in Al Rashidiya to UAE Exchange Metro Station in Jebel Ali. Along this route falls the Jebel Ali Metro Station, which is the fifth-last station on the UAE Exchange Metro Station’s end of the Red Line.
The Route 2020 Metro extension starts from this Jebel Ali Metro Station. The four stations that have opened are as follows:
1. Jebel Ali Metro Station – This is an interchange station, similar to the Union Metro Station and the Bur Juman Metro Station, which let commuters switch from the Red Line to the Green Line. The Jebel Ali Metro Station will let commuters switch from the Red Line to the Expo 2020 route.
2. The Gardens Station – This is an elevated station, which is situated next to The Gardens community in Dubai.
3. Discovery Gardens Station – The next station on the route is next to the Discovery Gardens community development, and is an elevated station.
4. Al Furjan Station – The Al Furjan Station is another elevated station, serving the Al Furjan community in Dubai.
These four stations were opened for operations to cater to the big residential populations in the area, according to the RTA. At a later date, the other three stations on the Route 2020 Metro line will also be opened. These are:
1. Jumeirah Golf Estates Station – Once opened, this will be the biggest Metro station in Dubai, with a total area of 28,700 square metres. It can serve 11,555 riders per hour during peak times and 250,000 riders per day, according to an earlier announcement by the RTA.
2. Dubai Investment Park Station – This will be the second underground station of Route 2020. It spans 27,000 square metres in area and extends 226 metres in length.
3. Expo 2020 Station – The final station on Route 2020, the Expo 2020 station will mainly serve visitors to Expo 2020. The station will have three passenger platforms and three routes. It is linked on the eastern side with the Expo exhibition and Expo Conference and Exhibition Centre, and on the western side with the EXPO Mall and urban complex. This station will also connect to Dubai’s airports – through a key train service link to Terminal 1 and Terminal 3 at the Dubai International Airport, and a bus service to the Terminal at Al Maktoum International Airport to ease the movement of riders between the two airports.
What is Route 2020?
Route 2020 is a 15km route, with seven stations, linking to the current Red Line. The track has an 11.8km elevated track and a 3.2km underground track.
Can I visit the Expo 2020 site?
While the site had organised visitor tours in the middle of 2020, those were for a limited period of time. It is currently not open to visitors.
