On November 11, Dubai Tram will be officially inaugurated. The date is an iconic one: it will be the 11th of the 11th month. With the inauguration of Dubai Tram, 11 tram stations will be served over a distance of almost 11kms. Dubai Tram launches on Tuesday with an initial fleet of 11 trams.

To add to the list of elevens and in anticipation of the historic launch, Emirates 24|7 sums up 11 of the most interesting facts about Dubai Tram.

1. How much does it cost?

The fare of a tram trip will be based on the existing zoning system in Dubai. This zoning system divides the emirate into seven zones and the fare of a trip is deducted from the NOL card depending on the number of zones that was entered.

In the initial phase of Dubai Tram, the entire route will not cross more than one zone. To be more accurate, the 10.6 kilometre-track falls entirely in Zone 2 of the RTA Zoning System.

Simultaneously, with the launch of Dubai Tram, a new pricing system will be implemented. According to this pricing system, the one-zone trip will cost Dh3 for a ride in the Silver class and Dh6 for a ride in the Gold class.

A Red Ticket can be purchased for a single trip or a day pass, not requiring the permanent NOL Card. A single trip on the Silver Class costs Dh4, while on the Gold Class this fare relates to Dh8. A Dh2 fee is charged for the purchase of the card itself and should be added to the trip.

2. The stations

The first phase of Dubai Tram consists of 11 stations. Five of these are located on Sufouh Road, while 6 stations are spread throughout the Marina area. Three stations are located on Sheikh Zayed Road, and one station at the foot of Palm Jumeirah Island.

The stations are named and numbered, starting in JBR. Here, stations 1 and 2 are settled. Stations 3, 4, and 5 are located on Sheikh Zayed Road, with station 3 connecting to JLT, station 4 t Dubai Marina Mall and station 5 being the main station to reach Dubai Marina. Station 6, a little off Sheikh Zayed Road is named Dubai Marina Towers.

The five stations on Al Sufouh Road cater to a specific area. Station 7 reaches Mina Al Seyahi, station 8 Dubai Media City, Station 9 Palm Jumeirah Island, where it connects to the Monorail, station 10 Knowledge Village and station 11 Al Sufouh.

3. Only the beginning

The opening of Dubai Tram only marks the beginning of Dubai Tram. Eventually, the tram will reach all the way up to 2nd of December Street.

Two more phases of construction are planned for Dubai Tram. In the second phase, a link will be formed to Burj Al Arab and Mall of the Emirates, with an extension of 5km and addition of 7 stations to the line. 14 trams will be added to make a total of 25 operating trams.

The third phase will account for a line on Jumeirah Beach Road, reaching 2nd of December Street. Little is known about this phase so far, and it seems that completion is not due until 2025.

When the network is completed, more metro stations will be linked to the tram, and it will be an integral part of the transportation network.

4. Times and frequency

There will be no 12 minutes that a tram does not pass by; and Dubai Tram operates on Friday mornings too.

 From Saturday till Thursday, Dubai Tram will be operative from 6:30am to 1:30am, while it will run from 9am to 1.30am on Friday.

 A total of eight trams will be on track and the 11 stations will be served at 10-minute intervals during peak times and 12-minute intervals during off-peak times. 

5. The fines

Once Dubai Tram is operative, some of the toughest traffic fines will be introduced in the emirate, with the highest Dh30,000.

The fine can be issued when a traffic offense at a tram intersection leads to the death of a person. Crossing a red traffic signal at the intersection area with the tramway causing an accident that leads to the death of a person is punishable with a fine between Dh10,000 and Dh30,000, along with suspension of the offender’s driving licence for up to one year, stated the RTA earlier.

When crossing a red traffic light at the tramway intersection and causes an accident leading to injuries the offender can be fined between Dh5,000 and Dh15,000, and the license can be revoked for 30 days to six months, while crossing a red traffic light at the tramway intersection area without causing an accident is punishable with a fine between Dh2,000 and Dh5,000, with a possible loss of driving licence for a period of 30 days to three months.

6. Train capacity

In all likelihood, you have already seen the tram making its rounds in Dubai. Did you imagine that one such train was able carry more than 400 passengers at a time?

Every tram has the capacity to carry a maximum of 405 passengers, or 5 passengers per m². These passengers will be fitted in 7 carriages totalling a space of 44 meters in length, and 3.5 meters in height. And there is priority seating, of course.

Each tram has a Gold Class consisting of 8 seats, a Silver Class including of 44 seats and a Women and Children Class consisting of 24 seats. There is dedicated space for 2 wheelchairs.

7. Metro connections

Two Metro stations are currently linked to the tram network; Dubai Marina Metro station and Jumeirah Lakes Towers Metro station. The RTA expects these links to be essential in the use of Dubai Tram.

In areas such as Dubai Marina and JBR, public transportation is limited. Buses move between the metro stations and certain locations, and some areas can only be reached on foot. During the summer months, this is a major hurdle for residents and visitors alike.

With the tram, commuters will be able to reach the Metro network, and travel further through the emirate from there, explains the RTA.

More Metro stations are expected to be connected to Dubai Tram in the future. The Mall of the Emirates has been named as one such station, and other stations on Sheikh Zayed Road might be added.

With the addition of new Metro lines, more connections will become possible. From what the blueprint shows, the pink line could possible connect to Dubai Tram, after which it bends in the direction of Dubailand.

8. Cycling Track

Dubai Tram brings more to the emirate than just a tram network. Along with the rails will come a new cycling track.

The cycling track will serve most of the areas penetrated by the tram network, and form a link between the stations along the route. There will be no cycling track between stations 5-7, but all remaining stations will be linked by the trail, the RTA had said earlier.

The track will function as a combined cycling track and pedestrian way in the areas of JLT, JBR and Dubai Marina, where a 3-metre wide track will be constructed along the railway stations 1-5.

Starting with a 3-metre wide track at station 7, the track will then be narrowed to continue as a cycling-only track along stations 8-11.

Further, cycle racks will be installed at all stations. These racks will have a capacity of 8-16 bicycles, depending on the area.

“Dubai Tram is a community transit mode, so it must be very accessible. The idea is that people can walk, ride, or drive to the nearest station,” said Pierre Sironval, Managing Director at Besix / Six Construct (UAE), one of the contractors of the project earlier.

9. Ridership numbers

Dubai Tram will be opened in some of Dubai’s most popular areas for residents and tourists alike. Dubai Marina, Jumeirah Beach Residence and Jumeirah Lakes Towers (JLT) already witnesses thousands of commuters traveling in and out of the area.

It is not a coincidence that Dubai Tram kicks off on this side of town. Some of these places are difficult to reach, and will benefit immensely from a local access transportation mode.

With this background in mind, the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has estimated that Dubai Tram will carry about 27,000 riders per day at the start of operations, which will accumulate in 200,000 per year. This ridership is bound to hit 66,000 riders per day by 2020.

10. The facilities

Much like the Dubai Metro, the new tram network boasts state-of-the-art facilities that will attract the attention of visitors from all over the world. As such, it is the first tram network to have platform screen doors at all its stations, which only open when the tram has arrived.

The tram stations are enclosed and air-conditioned. Each station is about 50m long and contain seats, dustbins, information panels, ticket vending machines, lifts and escalators where it connects to a Metro station. Retail outlet space will be offered as well.

Wifi will be accessible on the Dubai Tram.

Pedestrian access is ensured through a number of facilities, such a footpath that runs along the tram alignment, and footbridges that are constructed at stations 4, 6, 7, and 9. At other stations, pedestrian crossings will ensure safe access for pedestrians.

Each station will also be facilitated with parking and drop-off areas. A taxi lay-by and private vehicles drop-off area will be available at each station, and depending on the station location, a number of dedicated tram user parking slots will be provided.

11. How it works

Dubai Tram will not be driverless, such as the Dubai Metro. A driver will drive the train, although the system assures that the tram will stop at the designated station space without any delays.

It is the world’s first tramway project powered by a ground-based electric supply system extending along the track, rather than the supply lines running above the tracks.

The trams will run on two separate lines; one of which is a single line, and another a double track. A single track system is applied at the loop serving stations 1-4. Here, a one-direction tram will circle around JLT and JBR. The single loop track can be operated separately if needed.

The remaining part of the network will function on a double track. From stations 5-11, a tram will ride in both directions on two separate tracks. Trams will be able to change direction or track at the intermediate stations equipped with crossovers.