Dubai: Following a successful first month of Dubai Tram operations, which saw a ridership of 313,738 people, the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has announced a new tram service between Jumeirah Beach Residence and Dubai Marina starting on Sunday.
The new service, which will be in addition to the existing service, will see trams operating every six minutes between four stations — Jumeirah Beach Residence 1, Jumeirah Beach Residence 2, Jumeirah Lakes Towers and Marina Mall,
“The new service will allow residents and visitors of Dubai Marina and JBR to travel quickly between the two areas. It will make internal travelling more convenient for people of these two areas as the service covers a loop connecting JBR 1 and 2 stations with Dubai Marina Mall as well as connecting with JLT,” said Mattar Al Tayer, announcing the service exclusively to Gulf News.
Tram timings will continue to remain same, with trams operating from 6.30 am to 1.30am, except on Fridays when the tram services start at 9am.
The existing service, running a tram every 10 minutes during peak hours and every 12 minutes during non-peak hours, will continue along the 10.6 kilometre network.
More than 11,000 people take the trams on an average daily since its launch for public on November 12.
Dubai Tram recorded the highest ridership on December 2, when 25,516 people boarded Dubai’s newest mode of transport.
The trams have made 3,693 trips in the first month of its operations, with a punctuality rate of 97 per cent and availability rate of 98.5 per cent.
Expectedly, with a connectivity to Dubai Metro, Dubai Marina station has proved to be most popular with footfall of 80,000.
Dubai Tram is considered the first tram outside Europe powered entirely by on-ground electric cables extending throughout the tramway. It is also the first tram in the world that uses the technology of platform screen doors the mechanism of which is synchronised with the opening and closing of the tram doors in order to provide additional comfort, safety and security to riders.
Dubai Tram is also first in the world to have all 11 of stations air-conditioned.
The 10.6 kilometre network covers Al Sufouh, Knowledge Village, Dubai Media City as well as Dubai Marina and JBR. The network connects with Palm Jumeirah’s Monorail at Palm Jumeirah station as well as linking with Dubai Metro at Dubai Marina and JLT stations.
The Palm Jumeirah station also works as a hub with a parking lot that can accommodate 100 vehicles and a connectivity with buses.
As many as six bus routes connect various stations of tram offering onward journeys to other areas not served by metro.
Routes 8, 83, 84, 85, 88, X28 and F31 serve various locations along the tram network and operate at a headway of 10 to 20 minutes.
The fare on the regular tram service as well on the loop with remain Dh3 for a Silver class, irrespective of the distance travelled, while on Gold class the cost will double. Commuters will need to have a minimum of Dh7.5 as Nol balance to take a ride on tram.
