Residents say new Route 2020 line will ease traffic and increase property value

Tenants and homeowners living near new Dubai Metro stations happy to see end of construction works

The Expo 2020 metro station will initially be used by employees and other eligible travellers to the site of the world fair. Courtesy Dubai RTA

A look at two new stations that will open up in June on the Expo 2020 Metro Red Line. Courtesy: Dubai RTA

View of the newly completed Discovery Gardens metro station in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National

Al Furjan metro station in Dubai. Route 2020 will open to the public in January. The extension of the Red Line includes seven new stations, including Al Furjan. Pawan Singh / The National

The elevated line can be seen at Al Furjan metro station. Route 2020, which connects the city with the Expo site, has been under construction for the past four years. Pawan Singh / The National

Discovery Gardens metro station is one of the seven stations on the new route leading to the Expo 2020 sites. Pawan Singh / The National

An estimated 270,000 live in the Discovery Gardens, Jebel Ali, Al Furjan and Jumeirah Golf Estate areas. Pawan Singh / The National

A metro train passes a residential building in Al Furjan, Dubai. Residents of the area say they are looking forward to using the new transport link. Pawan Singh / The National

The extension to the line should mean fewer people will rely on private cars or taxis to get around. Pawan Singh / The National

Workers put finishing touches on Al Furjan metro station. The station is one of seven on Route 2020. Pawan Singh / The National

Workers at the Discovery Gardens metro station. Pawan Singh / The National

Construction on the metro stations has been under way for the past four years. Pawan Singh / The National

Residents living in neighbourhoods along Dubai Metro’s Route 2020 said the addition of a new public transport link would save them a lot of time and money on travel.

Homeowners hoped the construction of seven new metro stations, which will open to the public in September, would help raise the value of their property in the future too.

Speaking to The National, long-term residents living near the new stations were relieved to see an end to the years-long construction of the 15km track extension.

Those staying in Discovery Gardens and Al Furjan said they also anticipated an ease in traffic congestion in the usually busy area, as roads that were once closed to aid construction had opened up again.

“We were living in Discovery Gardens since 2010 and moved to Al Furjan in 2017,” said Neha Jain, a homeowner in Azizi Tulip Residence which overlooks the new metro line.

“We are looking forward to the metro opening up as there will be more ease of movement and metros are time savers.

“Being a homeowner, I am really hopeful that the addition of a metro link will lead to some sort of hike in property value in the future.

“That is one of the main reasons we bought the apartment in 2016.”

On Wednesday, 47 months after construction started on the track, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, inaugurated the metro line.

The Roads and Transport Authority's new Route 2020 line starts from Jebel Ali Station and passes through a number of popular Dubai neighbourhoods including Dubai Investments Park and Jumeirah Golf Estates.

Linked with the main Red Line, it will give commuters direct access to the expo site as well as other areas in the city.

Niyati Priyam, 32, said the new track would “boost connectivity”.

“I was living in Discovery Gardens for six years and moved to Al Furjan two years ago,” the bank worker said.

“I’ve just got used to the construction so to see it coming to an end has been great.

“To have a Dubai Metro station so close to our front door will be convenient when my family comes to visit.

“They won’t have to rely on taxis, which can cost a lot when using them daily.”

Fifty trains will serve passengers across the seven stations when they open at the end of summer. And part of the track, including two stations, will be underground.

After living in Discovery Gardens for five years, sales assistant Adil Nadif said it was good to have the option of “hopping on the metro” instead of having to rely on buses and taxis only. He expects to make the most of the metro on the weekends.

“People living in this area have been waiting a long time for this day, to see it complete is great,” he said.

“I can walk to the station from my house and I’ll use it for leisure purposes, like going to the mall, because I have work transport already.”

Mr Nadif said traffic movement had already eased too, as diversions that were in place during the build phase had now opened up.

Working at Dubai International Airport, Lauren Piquero, 35, said she often socialises with friends in old Dubai.

“I go to Satwa or BurJuman Mall to visit friends and have to take a bus from Discovery Gardens, then connect to a metro along Sheikh Zayed Road,” she said.

“Having a metro station on my doorstep is a big deal for me.

“It will save me more time than money, because I don’t spend much on travel now, but that added convenience is more important for me.”

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid inaugurates Route 2020