By Ashfaq Ahmed, Chief Reporter www.gulfnews.comÂ
Dubai: A comprehensive plan has been finalised to evacuate passengers in case of an unexpected breakdown or emergencies in the Dubai Metro, Gulf News has learnt.
In case a train stops on its track due to an emergency, the priority will be to drive it manually to the nearest station. If this is not possible, passengers will be made to disembark from the train on the tracks.
The tracks – either elevated or in the tunnel – have walkways to enable passengers to walk up to the nearest evacuation point. The Dubai Metro tracks have evacuation points every 700 metres, according to international standards.
Passengers evacuating from an elevated track will use the stairs to come down. Electricity on the tracks will be automatically disconnected in case of an emergency to ensure that no one gets electrocuted.
The Metro’s underground tunnels have ventilation fans and a system to extract gases.
Metro staff assigned on the trains and stations are trained as first responders to enable them to provide first aid before police and paramedics arrive in case of an emergency.
A senior official at the Rail Agency of the Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) said that the safety of passengers and the system is the top priority of the RTA.”
The railway operation is monitored by an Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system, which is a tested and proven technology around the world. In case a train breaks down, all the trains following it stop automatically – so no crashes,” he explained.
The ATP is a system that monitors the movement of the trains and track situation. If there is any problem, trains will stop automatically.
The RTA is in the final stages of completing the Dh15.5-billion Dubai Metro project consisting of two lines. The Red Line is scheduled to be operational on September 9.
