Thales, a global technology leader for the aerospace, transport, defence and security markets, has won a contract to upgrade Dubai Metro's Red Line, one of the world's longest driverless metro lines which will be used by the 25 million visitors expected at World Expo 2020.

The contract was awarded by Alstom (leader of Expolink consortium), and Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) to deliver the systems’ extension and upgrade of the Dubai Metro's Red Line.

Known as Route 2020, the 15 km extension will include seven stations and is currently under construction to connect the existing network with the World Expo 2020 site. It is due to enter into service in May 2020, five months before the Expo opens.

The Alstom-led consortium Expolink, also composed of Acciona and Gulermak, has signed the contract with RTA to design and build the extension of Dubai’s Red Line and upgrade the system of the existing line. The total value of the project is €2.6 billion ($2.9 billion).

As per the contract, Thales will provide a state-of-the-art driverless train signalling technology as well as integrated supervision, telecommunications, passengers’ services, security and fare collection systems.

These innovative solutions are designed to optimise energy consumption, smooth passenger flows and improve IT connectivity, said the company in a statement.

Thales's ground transportation solutions have been in service on the Dubai metro for the last seven years.
These include driverless train signalling systems, the control centre, integrated supervision and communications, passengers’ services, security and revenue collection systems.

The Red Line (52 km before the extension) was the longest driverless metro line in the world when it began operations in 2009. This ultra-modern, mostly overhead metro running alongside the city’s main Sheikh Zayed Road, an urban highway prone to gridlock during rush hours, has succeeded in the space of a few years in easing the city’s traffic congestion, said the statement.

Since 2009, passenger numbers have been increasing continuously.

This latest project is a major milestone in the urban transport system of this futuristic city, which is considered particularly innovative in the transport sector in particular. It will definitely contribute to Dubaï’s objective to become the “smartest” city in the world, it stated.   

Thales has now been selected again to improve urban mobility, provide the latest enhancements to the solutions already in service and equip 50 new trains provided by Expolink consortium, said the statement.

One of the challenges will be to complete the project without disruption to the metro’s 20-hour-a-day operation on the existing line, it added.-TradeArabia News Service