Latest news with #Railbus
CairoScene
03-03-2025
- Business
- CairoScene
Dubai's Road Network to Be Expanded Under AED 6 Billion Plan
Dubai's Road Network to Be Expanded Under AED 6 Billion Plan The initiative also includes a new Railbus project, which will be integrated with Dubai's metro and tram networks. Dubai has approved a comprehensive AED 6 billion plan aimed at improving traffic flow and easing congestion in key areas of the city. The initiative, a collaboration between Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) and Dubai Holding, will enhance access to major locations, including Jumeirah Village Circle, Dubai Production City, Business Bay, Palm Jumeirah and International City. Infrastructure improvements will also extend to Dubai Islands, Jumeirah Village Triangle, Palm Gateway, Al Furjan, Jumeirah Park, Arjan, Majan, Liwan (Phase 1), Nad Al Hamar, Villanova and Serena. Among the planned upgrades, Palm Jumeirah will see the addition of pedestrian bridges on the trunk, while Business Bay will feature new roads and pedestrian bridges near Bay Square. Jumeirah Village Circle will undergo the development of roads, bridges, and underpasses, and International City 2 will see the expansion of its road network. The initiative also includes a new Railbus project, announced at the World Governments Summit, which will undergo two years of technical studies before being integrated with Dubai's metro and tram networks. Additionally, the Trade Centre Roundabout is set to be transformed into a bridged intersection featuring five bridges spanning 5,000 metres, with an estimated cost of AED 696 million. This project aligns with Dubai's Five-Year Road Transformation Plan, approved in November, which includes 21 projects across 12 residential, commercial and industrial areas. The plan will add 634 kilometres of roads at a cost of AED 3.7 billion. A new road network map, released in December, is expected to improve traffic flow to 19 residential areas, including Al Barsha and Jumeirah, with travel times projected to decrease by up to 40%. The road network upgrade is set for completion in the second quarter of 2026, supporting Dubai's projected population growth from 3.8 million to 5.8 million by 2040.
Yahoo
19-02-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Dubai studying 'railbus' system in effort to improve public transport
Dubai's next public transport upgrade might not need to choose between tracks or roads — it'll do both. The city is studying a Railbus system, a hybrid mode of transport that blends the speed of rail with the flexibility of road travel. Already in use in parts of Asia and Europe, these 'dual-mode' vehicles can switch between dedicated tracks and normal highways, offering a cost-effective alternative to metro expansion. For city planners, it's a faster and cheaper solution. For commuters, it's another way to dodge traffic jams. The Railbus will connect with the Dubai Metro and Tram, but passengers will have to wait to hop on — a launch date hasn't been set. Feasibility studies alone could take up to two years.
The National
14-02-2025
- Automotive
- The National
Will Elon Musk's Loop drive down Dubai traffic?
There is no denying that Elon Musk – the billionaire tech mogul, space flight pioneer and confidante to US President Donald Trump – has a special way of presenting new projects. Speaking via video call to an audience attending the last day of the World Governments Summit in Dubai yesterday, Mr Musk said a proposed underground road network for the city is 'going to be like a wormhole. You just wormhole from one part of the city to another'. Tesla is set to work with the emirate's authorities to build the Dubai Loop – an ambitious urban transport project that will resemble the Las Vegas Loop, a $47-million system built by Mr Musk's Boring Company. That project opened in 2021 and carries convention centre visitors in high-speed tunnels to avoid surface traffic. The American project took two years to build the tunnels and five stations for 70 driverless vehicles to travel through, and there are plans to further develop it into a sprawling system of 100 stations that will connect the Nevada city's airport to hotels and casinos. As enterprising as this sounds, Mr Musk's joint project with Dubai is in keeping with the emirate's future-focused ideas about making the city greener, more liveable and easier to get around. Like Dubai, Las Vegas is one of the world's hottest urban areas and below-ground transport is regarded as ideal for reducing emissions and ensuring smoother journeys. The Dubai Loop is just one of several current projects that aim to cut congestion and better connect one of the world's fastest growing cities. Technical studies of Dubai's solar-powered Railbus network are ongoing and the city has plans to more the double its number of Metro stations by 2040. In addition, Dubai is planning other ways to reduce the number of vehicles on its roads, such as the Super Block project – unveiled earlier this month, this aims to transform key areas into pedestrian zones with more greenery, shared public spaces and greater opportunities for social interaction. The drive to create new and innovative modes of transport – thereby improving the quality of life in urban areas – is something that the UAE as a whole is embracing. The Etihad Rail project, which has been advancing since work began on it in 2009, took a significant step forward in January when plans for a 30-minute high-speed train service connecting Abu Dhabi to Dubai were unveiled. The UAE capital also looks set to embrace flying taxis, with one company, Archer Aviation, saying earlier this month that it hopes to get Abu Dhabi's first flying taxis in the air this year, adding that its long-term goal is to replace 60 to 90-minute trips by car with 10 to 20-minute electric air journeys. For now, the focus is on this high-profile plan to dig underground roads in the desert. It is certainly a bold move, and Dubai will be watching the progress and expansion of Mr Musk's Las Vegas Loop closely. It may be the case that, in a few short years, Dubai travellers will indeed be 'wormholing' their way from one part of the city to another.
The National
11-02-2025
- Automotive
- The National
Dubai Railbus testing to be completed in two years as sustainable transport drive gathers pace
Live updates: World Governments Summit in Dubai Technical studies on Dubai's Railbus project will be completed in two years and the new network will complement existing transport infrastructure, such as the Dubai Metro and Dubai Tram, The National can reveal. Construction costs will be far less expensive than those of the Dubai Metro, with Railbus expected to be "20 per cent to 30 per cent cheaper than comparable systems globally", Abdul Muhsen Ibrahim Kalbat, chief executive of the Roads and Transport Authority, told The National on Tuesday. 'Sustainable transportation is part of the national strategy to achieve zero emissions by 2050,' he added. 'This type of system will complement our mass transit system, such as Dubai Metro and Dubai Tram, and will integrate with existing public transport users from the areas adjacent to Metro stations." Mr Kalbat said a tiered system will be used for ticketing, with the network split into zones making it cost-effective for the customer. 'According to the research and development that the company is doing right now in co-ordination and collaboration with the RTA, we expect to get results of all studies and research within two years," he added. "Then we will be studying the feasibility of implementing this type of system within Dubai to explore the best routes and the best areas to start testing this type of system.' Although no launch date has been announced, Mattar Al Tayer, director general of the RTA, said the next steps after the two years of technical studies 'will involve identifying the optimal locations for pilot operations to assess its operational efficiency and integration with Dubai's wider transport network'. The RTA said the capsule-like vehicles, 11.5 metres in length and 2.65m wide, have a top speed of 100kph and each can hold 40 passengers. The vehicles will rely on solar power, with all tracks set to be covered by panels. The design, which has been optimised for urban landscapes, will be 3D-printed and the vehicles will be made from recyclable material. 'All of the related infrastructure will be developed more economically when compared to other similar systems,' Mr Kalbat said. 'It will run on rails and have the flexibility of a bus, as it will be able to manoeuvre within residential areas to serve the first and last-mile transport demands in Dubai.' On Monday, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, was joined by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, in reviewing the Railbus prototype with Mr Al Tayer, while visiting the RTA stand at the World Governments Summit in Dubai. It is the latest in a series of recent announcements to help ease the pressure on Dubai's road network, with plans released last June setting out to double the number of Metro and tram stations by 2040. Dubai has 55 Metro stations – 35 on the red line and 20 on the green line – as well as 11 tram stops. This number is to be increased to 96 stations spanning 140km by 2030, according to Dubai Media Office. Set to transform the north-east of the city, an Dh18 billion ($4.9 billion) project is under way to add a blue line to the Metro system, which will feature 14 stations and add 30km to the network, more than half of it underground. Under plans laid out by Sheikh Hamdan, several car-free zones are to be established across the city.
