Light Rail & Tram System in Abu Dhabi By 2014

The first phase of the tram system will be ready by the year 2014 which will serve the areas within the city of Abu Dhabi and areas close to the metro. The Director of Public Transport Department in Abu Dhabi, Hashim Al Hashemi said: “The 340-kilometre tram system is part of an ambitious and far-reaching Surface Transport Master Plan that will meet the people’s and economy's mobility needs as part of Plan Abu Dhabi 2030.” A detailed study of this Tram project in Abu Dhabi will be conducted. Local and international consulting firms are being invited for submitting their bids in order to conduct the detailed study.

This Rail and Tram study features an integral part of the Surface Transport Master Plan (STMP). This necessary step is to be taken for the development of a comprehensive transport infrastructure by Department of Transport. The population of Abu Dhabi is expected to increase to 3.2 million by 2030 and the daily personal trips will also get increased, thus a well developed transport system has to be installed. The DOT will closely work with the selected consultant in order to asses the feasibility and financial stability of this project. It will be compared with models of the initial design. Vehicle size and other technical specifications will be studied.

The complete study will be done for a time period of about 18 months. Moreover, this Light Rail and Tram system is considered as one of the vital means of transport. This mode of transport is popular due to its energy efficiency, large capacity; cost efficiency and its operation in densely populated areas. The first phase of the project will be 42.5 kilometers long and it will be ready by 2015.