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Dubai Metro's Blue Line to host world's tallest metro station
The ground breaking ceremony for Dubai Metro's Blue Line was witnessed by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, and Ruler of Dubai, Dubai Media Office announced on the 'X' platform on Monday.
Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum were present at the ground breaking ceremony.
The 30-kilometre (km) line, which includes 14 stations, will feature the tallest metro station in the world with Sheikh Mohammed approving the design of the 74-metre high Emaar Properties station, the announcement said.
Inspired by the concept of a crossing gateway, the station, designed by American architectural firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), will cover an area of approximately 11,000 square metres (sqm) and have an estimated capacity of 160,000 passengers per day.
The Blue Line will serve nine areas with an estimated population of one million as outlined in the Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan.
In December 2024, Zawya Projects had reported that the 20.5 billion UAE dirhams ($5.6 billion) Blue Line will become operational on 9 September 2029, after the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) awarded the main contract to Turkey's MAPA-Limak consortium.
The completion of the Blue Line project will take the total length of railways in Dubai to 131 km, with 78 stations and 168 trains (comprising 157 Metro trains and 11 Tram trains). Currently, the total total length of Dubai Metro network 90 km, and includes around 52 km for the Red Line, 23 km for the Green Line, and 15 km for Route 2020.
Since its opening on September 9, 2009, the Dubai Metro has served more than 2.52 billion passengers, with an average daily passenger count of 900,000 last year. The number of Dubai Metro passengers is expected to exceed 300 million in 2026 and reach 320 million by 2031.
Key elements of the Blue Line
The Dubai Metro Blue Line will also feature three interchange stations: Creek Station at Al Jaddaf on the Green Line, Centrepoint Station at Al Rashidiya on the Red Line, and International City 1 Station on the Blue Line, in addition to the iconic station located in Dubai Creek Harbour.
The line includes 9 elevated stations and 5 underground stations, and marks the first Dubai Metro line to cross Dubai Creek on a 1,300-metre-long viaduct. It will also be home to the largest underground interchange station in the Dubai Metro network, spanning over 44,000 sqm.
The new line offers direct connectivity between Dubai International Airport and nine key areas, including Mirdif, Al Warqa, International City 1 and 2, Dubai Silicon Oasis, Academic City, Ras Al Khor Industrial Area, Dubai Creek Harbour, and Dubai Festival City.
The maximum capacity of the Blue Line exceeds 850,000 passengers per day, based on the scale of the stations included within the project scope. Passenger numbers are expected to reach 200,000 per day by 2030, rising to 320,000 per day by 2040.
(Writing by SA Kader; Editing by Anoop Menon)
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