Sufouh Tram test run held in France

Sufouh Tram test run held in France Staff Reporter / 19 June 2013 Trials of Al Sufouh Tram to be operated in Dubai were held in France on a 700-km-long test track. Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), watched the technical test in the facilities of Alstom Company in France. During the trial run, which was done at various speeds, tests on the safety system, electric propulsion of the coaches, braking system, sudden stops during emergencies, ground power feed of the track, overhead power feed and doors operation mechanism were conducted, according to a release from the RTA. “This test run is a milestone in the implementation of Al Sufouh Tramway Project, which is being planned, designed and constructed in conformity with the directives of His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, calling for the provision of a sophisticated transit system to serve Jumeirah Beach Residence, Marina and Al Safouh neighbourhoods,” said Al Tayer. Al Sufouh Tram is considered the first of its kind outside Europe fed by ground power cables and the coaches will be shipped to Dubai from December. The RTA will commission other tests at the track site and these tests will continue till the official launch of the tram service in November 2014. The tram system is 14.6km long and runs along Al Sufouh Road, and the initial phase of the project envisages the construction of a 10.6-km-long track starting from the Dubai Marina and stretching up to the Tram Depot near the Dubai Police Academy. There will be 17 passenger stations, 11 of which with 11 trams are covered in the first phase, and 14 trams in phase II. The trams are expected to carry about 27,000 riders per day at the start of operations in 2014, and the ridership is bound to pick up to hit 66,000 per day by 2020. Each tram measures 44 metres in length and can carry 300 people with First Class (Gold Suite) and one cabin designated for ladies and children as well as a Silver Class cabin. The tram’s carriages and stations will have deluxe interior finishings, and feature state-of-the-art technologies in the transmission and display of entertainment materials. In the stations, the passenger lounge will span 44 metres and is set to be equipped with automatic fare collection systems. The practice test was also watched by Adnan Al Hammadi, CEO of Rail Agency; Abdul Rida Abu Al Hassan, Director of Rail Planning & Development Projects; Dr Khalid Hamdi, Projects Advisor of the Chairman of the Board & Executive Director; Dr Kamal Adeer, Systems Manager at the Rail Agency; Mohammed Amiri, Manager of Rail Coaches Maintenance; Ali Lootah, Senior Engineer; and a host of executives from Alstom. – news@khaleejtimes.com   Taylor Scott International