by djd

Superlatives in the sands of the desert: A new subway is to help cope with the rapid growth in Dubai. Photo: djd/Grammer

The emirate Dubai at the Persian Gulf is breaking all boundaries, with a superlative luxury oasis growing from the desert sands. Amongst the many construction projects, two stand out: before the end of this year, the Burj Dubai will be completed, its 700 meters making it the highest building in the world, and the most comfortable subway in the world is to start operating next year. The metro will play its part in helping Dubai to cope with its growth – the population is expected to rise from 1.4 million to five million.

The first line is to be put into operation on 2009/09/09. In the finished stage, a total of three lines and 69 trains will operate on routes spanning a total length of 75 kilometers, transporting about 1.85 million passengers per day. The government of the emirate is spending the equivalent of 3.5 billion Euros for the metro, which is built by a consortium under the management of the Japanese Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. The Japanese rail car manufacturer Kinki Sharyo produces modern, fully automated trains. The seats for the metro come from the German Grammer AG. First class – the Gold Class – utilizes seats of type IC 3000 with leather covers and folding tables with laptop holders. The seating contours are further appealingly accentuated by their design in blue and turquoise – the colors of the sea.