Wayneis,
This news item was published on 24 May 2007 in Gulf News. More current than yours dated October 2006. If you've not heard of the Purple Line(that goes along the Emirates Road with a station @ IC3) you could GOOGLE that then.
Third Metro line to be built for Dh10b
By Ashfaq Ahmed, Staff Reporter
Dubai: Dubai Metro's Purple Line will mainly serve passengers between Dubai International Airport and Jebel Ali Airport, said a senior official.
The Roads and Transport Authority yesterday announced a third track to Dubai Metro called the Purple Line after the Red and Green Lines, which are being constructed.
The 49km Purple Line will be a fast track line connecting Dubai International Airport and the under construction Jebel Ali International Airport.
"The Purple Line will be built at an estimated cost of Dh10 billion and it will mainly serve passengers commuting between the two airports in addition to major communities in those areas," said Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of the RTA.
"The project has been launched following directives by His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to link major urban projects with public transport systems, including metro, public buses and water transport," he said.
He said the RTA and Department of Civil Aviation will jointly bear the cost of the project.
Stations
The Purple Line will have eight stations, including three major stations with check-in facilities for passengers intending to travel from either of the two airports.
"Passengers will be able to check in at the stations, take boarding passes, take the train to travel straight to the airport without any trouble," Al Tayer said.
The Purple Line will have high-speed trains with a maximum speed of 135km to 160km per hour while the average speed of the train will be 100km per hour compared to the average speed of 45km per hour of trains on the Red and Green Lines.
The train on the Purple Line will cover the 49km distance, including stoppage at the stations within 40 minutes. Construction will start in March 2009 and is scheduled to finish in 45 months in December 2012.
Starting from Dubai International Airport, the Purple Line will pass through Festival City, Jadaf, Business Bay and will run on Al Khail Road serving vital residential and commercial projects.
The RTA yesterday signed an agreement with an international consultant Parsons Brickerhoff (PB) to carry out consultancy services including the initial designs of the Purple Line. "We will start design works this month and it will be complete in May 2008," said Stuart L. Wallace, Chairman of PB Middle East.
Tender
Al Tayer said the project will offered for tendering in May 2008. He made it clear that there may be changes in a number of stations and facilities after the design study is complete.
The train on Purple Lines will be a different from the ones selected for the Red and Green Lines. Each train on the purple line will have nine carriages including dedicated carriages for luggage in addition to separate compartments for women and children.
The Purple Line will also have automated operations with driverless trains to ensure safety of passengers. The stations will have parking facilities for cars and will also be integrated with other modes of transportation included public buses and taxis.
Currently, two metro lines are under construction at the cost of Dh15.5 billion. The total length of these two lines is 75 km including a 52 km Red Line and 23 km Green Line. The Red Line will be operational in September 2009 while the Green Line will be ready in March 2010.
Tram network to serve communities
Some major stations of the Purple Line and the Red Lines will be linked by tram network to serve communities between the two Dubai Metro Lines, said a senior official.
"We will provide link by tram system to connect a few major stations on both the lines," said Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of the Dubai Roads and Transport Authority. The Red Line will run on Shaikh Zayed Road while the Purple Line will be built on the parallel Al Khail Road.
The Purple Line will also have link with the Red Line at the Dubai International Airport station. "We are studying the possibility of linking the Purple Line with the Green Line as well," he added.
Cost
Estimated Cost: Dh10 billion - Track length: 49 km
Construction period: 45 months --Work start: March 2009
Work complete: December 2012
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