Metro travel to be faster

Metro commuters can hope to reach their destinations 10 minutes early at no extra charge with the introduction of four express trains on the Red Line from October. The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) also hopes to  reduce the travel time of other trains on the line by 1.40 minutes. This will mean limited stops and less waiting time at stations, the RTA said. Two of the express services will start from Al Rashidiya and the other two from Jebel Ali stations and will have a trial run of five months. The route now takes 60-70 minutes to cover. Roads and Transport Authority officials Dr Aisha Al Busmait, Director of Marketing and Corporate Communication; Adnan Al Hammadi; Ramadan Abdullah, Director of Rail Operations; and Nasser Bu Shehab, Director of the Strategic Planning Department, addressing a Press conference on Monday. — Supplied photo Based on feedback from passengers, they will become a permanent feature of the Metro, according to the RTA, which said the special trains will start earlier than the regular services at 5.30am. The express trains will stop only at 13 rush-hour stations: Al Rashidiya, Emirates, Al Rigga, Union, Khalid bin Al Waleed, Al Karama, Al Jaffliya, Emirates Towers, Noor Islamic Bank, First Gulf Bank, Dubai Internet City, Ibn Battuta, and Jebel Ali stations, thereby saving commuting time by approximately 10 minutes. The other pilot service will stop for fewer minutes at less frequently used stations and the RTA hopes it will save a minute and forty seconds of travel time from the first to the last station. Adnan Al Hammadi, CEO of RTA’s Rail Agency, said: “The RTA always seeks to meet the needs of mass transit users, especially the Metro, by introducing new methods, alternatives and initiatives that help achieve its strategic objectives in serving the public.” He said if the services get a good response, they will be made regular, which will help ease travelling woes of passengers. “If both services prove successful, they will be applied on a permanent basis after the lapse of the specified commissioning period as we are keen on achieving our vision of safe and smooth transport for all.”