Dubai Metro Red line route to Expo station disrupted by technical fault

Metro services between GGICO Station and Centrepoint and Expo stations are affected, Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority said on Wednesday

Services from GGICO Station, in Garhoud, connecting to the Centrepoint and Expo stations are disrupted by a technical fault. Photo: AFP

A section of Dubai Metro's Red line is down because of a technical problem, the Roads and Transport Authority said on Wednesday.

Services from GGICO Station, in Garhoud, connecting to the Centrepoint and Expo stations are disrupted, the RTA said in a social media alert shared at 3.15pm.

The transport authority said replacement buses had been laid on for commuters.

“For Dubai Metro Red line users, the RTA informs you that the Metro service at GGICO Station has been disrupted due to a technical issue,” the RTA wrote on Twitter.

“Buses have been provided to transport passengers heading to Centrepoint and Expo stations. We thank you for your understanding.”

The RTA confirmed that the route remained out of service in a further social media message posted at 5.14pm.

It clarified that the technical fault only impacted trains running from platform 1 at GGICO station towards Centrepoint and Expo stations.

The metro consists of the Red and Green lines, which cover 89.3km and connect 53 stations served by a fleet of 129 trains.

The Red line connects the old city from Rashidiya and the airport to Downtown, Dubai Marina, and Expo 2020 in the far south-west.

The Green Line stations are in Bur Dubai and Deira in the city's old town.

Such faults are rare on the long-running transport link.

In October, journeys between Jebel Ali Station and DMCC stations (JLT) were halted for about 30 minutes because of a technical fault.

More than two billion passengers have used the Dubai Metro since its launch on September 9, 2009.

The metro's Red Line carried 1.34 billion commuters while the Green Line served more than 673 million, Dubai Media Office said in April.

It also said the metro has maintained a punctuality rate of 99.7 per cent and the average daily numbers of passengers was more than 616,000 last year.

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