Dubai tramway trial run begins smoothly

Dubai - The trial run of the Dubai tram began today, with the RTA carrying out a technical run of the tram in the depot’s rails, before carrying out a test run along a distance of about 2km. Each tram consists of seven coaches, with 11 trams due in the first phase of the tramway operation and a further 14 to be added later on. The 14.6km Dubai Tramway extends along Al Sufouh Road in Jumeirah Beach Residence, and the initial phase of the project envisages the construction of a 10.6km long track starting from the Dubai Marina and stretching up to the Tram Depot near the Dubai Police Academy. There will be 17 passenger stations, of which 11 will open in the first phase. Al Tayer said he expected the tram will carry 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”. - Khaleejtimes