So from October there will be new express trains introduced to the Dubai Metro timetable. Two trains will run from each end of the red line starting from Jebel Ali and Rashidiya at 5.30 and 5.40am. The trains will only stop at the most frequently used stations and will shave 10 minutes off the total journey time from one end of the red line to the other.
The Metro stations that the train will stop at are shown on the map below. These, according to the RTA, are the stops that get most frequent use.
The RTA is also trying to cut down rush hour mania in the Dubai Metro by introducing more frequent trains. With effect from June the frequency of the trains during rush hour was increased by 2 minutes so that you will only have to wait for a train for a maximum of 4 minutes (in theory!).
In addition to this the stopping times for the trains whilst at the station is being decreased from the current 30 seconds. It can be quite a battle to get on and off the trains during the busiest times as there is no etiquette in Dubai as to who should get on or off first. In London, on the Tube network, you will hear announcements of “Please let passengers off the train first” so that there is room for the new passengers to get on. However, in other countries the situation is different and so with the mix of cultures in Dubai there seems to be no consensus (and no rules for a change from the RTA) as to the best way to get on and off the trains, other than to barge your way through!
So, hopefully these two new express trains will increase the numbers of passengers that can be carried on the Metro during the rush hour.