Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, inaugurated the emirate’s tram service yesterday (November 11) from Al Sufouh depot.

Sheikh Hamdan rode on the first tram along with senior government officials, with two more trains in tow, for the opening run, according to Wam, the UAE news agency.

The trams opened for the general public today with a trip every 10 minutes during peak hours and every 12 minutes during non-peak hours.

The 10.6-km tram network is served by 11 stations and winds through the densely populated areas of Al Sufouh, Dubai Marina and Jumeirah Beach Residence while also serving Dubai Media City, Knowledge Village and Palm Jumeirah, the Wam report said.

The tram line is connected with Dubai Metro at two stations in Dubai Marina – Damac station and Jumeirah Lakes Towers station, while also linking Palm Jumeirah’s monorail at Palm Jumeirah station.

Each tram has the capacity to carry 405 passengers in its one Gold cabin, four Silver cabins and two cabins for women and children, the report said.

The initial phase of the tramway is estimated to serve 27,000 people daily, while the second phase will extend the network by 4 km and six more stations, targeting a daily ridership of 66,000 people.

Work on stage two is expected to commence in 2016, the Wam report noted.

A Silver class trip on the tram will cost Dh3 ($0.81) irrespective of the distance travelled, while the Gold class fare will be Dh6 ($1.63).

The 11-tram driver-operated system will operate from 6.30 am to 1.30 am on weekdays, while on Friday, it will run from 9 am to 1:30 am.