Al mahatta qadima heya Noor Bank. The next station is Noor Bank,” announces the male voice in Arabic followed by English equally at ease in both languages. Saed Duzdar stresses on the double vowel and brings into Noor a little of the magic and romance of the Arabian Nights tales. The voice is reassuring for a first-time passenger of the Dubai Metro and a familiar companion for the regular commuter. As I look forward to each station announcement while enjoying the view outside on the elevated section of the journey, there is never a dull moment in the Dubai Metro, the world’s longest driverless metro rail system.
From Etisalat to Noor Bank, changing trains at Union and passing the Burj Khalifa station, my first ride on the Dubai Metro to meet a friend in Jumeirah remains unforgettable. Since then, the occasional metro ride alone, usually in the Women & Children carriage, has been relaxing and fun – watching carefree shoppers, chattering student crowd and of course, and preoccupied working women on their way to work. A sea of humanity quietly leaves the carriage at each air-conditioned station, up the steps or elevator and out into the sun.
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The cacophony that characterised the Chennai local trains and Metro was endearing in its own way – women selling flowers, vegetables, the blind selling trinkets or singing a mournful number and the random fishmonger sitting on the train floor with her basket on her way home – but the flawless precision and absolute cleanliness with which the Dubai Metro functions make me want no more. No eating, chewing gum or drinking water in this automated Metro that is the pride of the emirate of Dubai.
On September 9, 2020, the Dubai Metro celebrated its 11th birthday. As always, residents remembered with gratitude the grit and vision of the HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum, the Vice-President of UAE and the Ruler of Dubai, who made this dream possible.
Parvathi S., a college-goer who often uses the train service, says: “Dubai metro will always have a very special place in my heart. It has made life simple, comfortable and so much easier. For a student like me, Dubai Metro has always been a life-saver. Reaching school, university or any place in Dubai has become very easy thanks to the metro service. The happiness of getting a seat during a long ride is one of those little moments that make the metro journey memorable. Thank you Dubai Metro for your 11 years of exemplary service.”
A good many secondary school children who attend schools near the train stations patronise the Dubai Metro too. And for teens like my son, wanting to chill out with friends on the weekend, the Metro provides a safe and economical means of transport. In fact, it is part of the adventure too. For tourists and residents alike, a Metro ride adds to the experiences that make up Dubai. It can easily be called the city’s most popular mode of public transport.
Over 1.5 billion riders have used the Dubai Metro until now, with a daily ridership of 650,000 reported last year. The number of Dubai Metro riders on its Red and Green Lines reached 202.98 million riders in 2019. Burjuman and Union stations, interchange stations on the Red and Green Lines, accounted for 12.76 million and 10.6 million riders respectively.
Route 2020, a 15km extension of the Red Line to the Expo 2020 site, with seven stations in between, was recently inaugurated by Sheikh Mohammed.
“The UAE has exceptional goals and ambitions. Today, we are moving with confidence, determination and a clear vision to attain the highest levels of excellence in various fields. Our objective is to provide people everything that ensures their wellbeing, stability and happiness and establish a prosperous future for the coming generations,” he said at the launch.
It was on 09/09/09 that Sheikh Mohammed gave the green signal to the Dubai Metro when he swiped the first Nol (fare) card to embark on a historic ride on the Red Line from Mall of the Emirates station to Rashidiya at 9:09:09 p.m. At its first stop, Dubai International Financial Centre or DIFC, the good Ruler placed a commemorative gold coin at the station. Since then, the shiny driverless carriage has been transporting residents and tourists across the emirate belying predictions that a city of cars and fast lanes will not find the public transport attractive. Today, many prefer to leave their cars parked at home or at the Park-and-Ride terminals and take a hassle-free and reliable metro ride to their destinations.
It saves them the hassle of navigating through peak hour traffic jams, or the fear of flouting a traffic rule and incurring a fine. Moreover, there is company in a train carriage unlike in a car – though in pandemic times, human company induces fear and social distancing is the order of the day.
When COVID-19 brought the world to a standstill, the Dubai Metro, like all public transport in the UAE, was completely halted for a two-week period in April. The National Sterilisation drive disinfected 47 stations and 79 trains of Dubai Metro before train services resumed on April 26. New safety and preventive measures are in place now, which instil confidence in the commuter.
“Al abwab toglaq. Doors closing,” reminds the much-loved voice of the metro as I enter a carriage, gloved and masked, for a Friday jaunt.
