He was accompanied by the CEO of Rail Agency Adnan Al Hamadi, Board Member & CEO Mohammed Obaid Al Mulla and several directors & engineers.

Al Tayer set off his journey from Etisalat Station at Al Qusais, near Emirates Road, which is the starting point of the Green Line where he inspected the entry points of the new roads leading to the multi-level car park terminal which have recently been constructed, and also viewed the parking lot designated for public buses and taxis feeding the station.

During his tour he inspected Al Qusais, Dubai Airport Free Zone, Al Nahdah, the Stadium, HQ, Abu Hail, and Abu Baker Al Siddiq stations. He also visited Salah Uddin station; which is the first underground station on the Green Line, and from there he headed to the Union station; which is a transfer station where the Red and Green Lines intersect and considered the biggest underground metro station in the world with an area of 25,000 square meters. Al Tayer then continued his tour which took him to Bani Yas and Palm Deira stations as well as Al Ras and Al Ghubaiba stations; both of which feature a design inspired by the UAE heritage.

He them moved on to Al Fuhaidi station and Khalid bin Al Waleed station which is considered one of the most stunning metro stations in the world. He continued his tour to Oud Metha Station and concluded the tour by inspecting the Dubai Healthcare City station; which is the terminal station on the Green Line under this initial phase.

‘The Consortium undertaking the project has completed the comprehensive technical testing of the finishing works on floors, installing & commissioning of escalators & lifts, interior lighting, air-conditioning, footbridges, metro carriages and arrangements in hand for special needs including tactile floor to guide visually impaired individuals to their intended destinations as well as the sound and optical announcement systems. It has also completed the finishing works of walls and aesthetic elements of stations which feature a unique design harmonious with the historical implications of these stations. The design revolves around the four elements of nature; water, air, fire and earth in addition to the heritage-inspired design of Al Ras and Al Ghubaiba stations replicating the history and civilization of the UAE,’ stated Al Tayer.

During the inspection tour, Al Tayer attended to a briefing about the results of the technical trial run of the Green Line which included testing the communication systems, automated operational system, power supply, air-conditioning, on-board electronic systems, signaling & lighting systems, and the integration and coordination between various subsystems and components.

He also inspected pedestrian footbridges and subways linking the metro stations which are fitted with air-conditioning systems, spacious routes, travellators and high-quality finishes. These corridors, which enable passengers smooth transit between the two sides of the road, are set to mark a breakthrough in the way pedestrians link and interact with the city, and contribute to bolstering the trend to shun the use of private vehicles. Al Tayer also viewed the arrangements made for parking of public buses and taxis in each station as well as signage and others.

The Dubai Metro operator, SERCO, has completed the training of front-end and customer service employees at the stations of the Green Line, metro coaches and various systems. These employees took over their jobs at stations after being subjected to intensive training sessions in customer service, communication & interaction skills, enhancement of safety, and applying the rules & regulations developed by the RTA to protect the facilities and enforce the law against offenders. Al Tayer stressed that all Dubai Metro employees have to give much focus to attaining the satisfaction of the metro riders and implementing the rules & regulations to maintain the security and safety of passengers and properties.

‘The Public Transport Agency has completed the training of bus drivers on the new routes feeding the metro stations which will be inaugurated with the opening of the Green Line. 456 vehicles have been allocated to shuttle on 39 routes to serve the Green Line linking the metro stations with the neighbourhood. The operational hours of these buses will be synchronized with the operational hours of the metro stations as the buses will start the service at 05:30 am and continue operating up to 12:00 am (after midnight).

‘14 trains will be operated on the Green Line during peak hours and 10 trains during off-peak hours and the service frequency (headway) will range from 6 to 8 minutes. Accordingly, the number of trains deployed on the Red and Green Lines will rise in peak time to 50 trains and in off-peak time to 28 trains. Dubai Metro will operate during weekdays (Saturday to Wednesday) from 06:00 am to 12:00 am (midnight) and on Thursday the metro service will start at 06:00 am and continue up to 01:00 am (after midnight), and on Friday the service will run from 01:00 pm (afternoon) up to 01:00 am (after midnight).