The Director General of Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), Mattar Al Tayer, announced the completion of 50 per cent of main tunnelling works of Route 2020 project, which extends 3.2 km at a varying depth from 12 to 36 meters. Al Tayer revealed that completion rate in the construction of stations ranges from 4 to 42 per cent.
The Route 2020 will have a total length of spans 15 km from Nakheel Harbour and Tower Station up to the site of Expo.
The giant Tunnel Boring Machine, known as ‘Al Wugeisha Expo 2020,’ commenced tunnel drilling works at Al Furjan, passed across the Discovery Gardens and reached the underground station nearby Jumeirah Golf Estates, last February. It will continue tunneling works up to the Dubai Investment Park, and all tunnel-related works are scheduled for completion in December this year. 
Regarding the progress on metro stations, Al Tayer said that currently the architectural, constructional and electromechanical designs are being developed for Expo Station, elevated and underground stations, and Nakheel Harbour and Tower Station. Completion rate in the underground station at Jumeirah Golf Estates has reached 42 per cent, whereas the completion rate of the underground station at DIP has reached 8 per cent. The completion rate has reached 14 per cent in the elevated station at Al Furjan, 12 per cent in the elevated station at the Discovery Gardens, 7 per cent in Expo Station, and 3 per cent in Nakheel Harbour and Tower Station. Completion rate has reached 50 per cent in the deep foundations of Nakheel Harbour and Tower Station. The footbridge linking the station and the Park-N-Ride Terminal has been removed to start construction works in the new station.
The project contractor has completed construction works in the deep foundations and pillars at the Gardens area. Work is currently underway in the manufacturing of the metal structures of the elevated station at the Discovery Garden, where completion rate has reached 35 per cent. Works started in casting reinforced concrete for the foundations of the main building of Expo Station. The completion rate of casting concrete pillars of Expo Station has exceeded 70 per cent. The completion rate in the construction of pillars and walls of the western gate of the station has exceeded 90 per cent and 40 per cent in the Eastern Gate. As for the installation of viaduct segments, about 60 of viaduct segments have been installed in various parts of the project.
Construction works in viaducts are expected to be completed this November 2018. All rail works of Route 2020 are expected to be completed in July 2019. RTA will start the test-run of the metro in February 2020.
The Alstom-led consortium ExpoLink, also composed of Acciona and Gulermak, has signed a contract with RTA to design and build the extension of Dubai’s Red metro line and upgrade the system of the existing line. The total value of the project, also called Route 2020, is EUR 2.6 billion. 
This summer, Alstom will deliver the first new metro train which will operate Route 2020. We remind you that in 2017 Alstom has presented the mock-up of the train. The Metropolis trainsets for Dubai are 88 meters long and composed of five cars per trainset. They will be able to carry up to 700 passengers each.
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