Dubai Metro set to run until midnight

Dubai Metro will operate for longer hours, beginning September 3, the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has announced.Trains will now run from 6am until 12 midnight on weekdays and until 1am on Thursdays and Fridays. At present the timings are from 6am to 11 pm on weekdays and until 12 am on weekends. The changed timings are being introduced as the Green Line is to become operational on September 9, RTA said in a statement yesterday.Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of the RTA, said: "Dubai Metro will be operated during weekdays from 6am to 12 midnight. On Thursday, the service will start from 6am and continue up to 1am, and on Friday the metro operation time will start at 1pm and continue running up to 1am." "The decision to extend the metro operational hours is synchronised with RTA preparations for the launch of the metro Green Line on September 9, as this line will serve vital areas with high population density and malls visited by citizens, residents and visitors." The changed timings have been decided based on a survey conducted among Metro users, where many preferred extension of the Metro timings to match the timings of the malls and recreational areas in the city. RTA is keen on addressing the needs of the community in terms of mobility and smooth travel across Dubai, it said. The metro is considered one of the vital public transit means given its short-cut travelling routes offering speedy access to the intended destinations across the city."The total number of trains to be deployed on both the Red and Green Lines will rise to 50 during peak time and 28 during off-peak time. Thirty-six trains will be deployed on the Red Line during peak hours and 18 trains during off-peak hours, while 14 trains will be operated on the Green Line during peak hours and ten trains during off-peak hours, with a service frequency will be from 6 to 8 minutes," Al Tayer said. From / Gulf News