Dubai Metro to be integrated with other modes of transport

Serco, a UK-based international service company, has been awarded the operation and maintenance contract for the Dubai Metro for the first 10 years.

The company will provide operation and maintenance services to all assets of the Dubai Metro system, including trains, railway tracks, stations and associated facilities during the duration of the contract.

The company will also provide transit Dubai property services to integrate other forms of transports with the metro network, operate the metro revenue system and collect revenues by selling and top up of metro cards on behalf of the Dubai Roads and Transport Authority.

The company will be responsible for the Dubai property operation of the metro company for 10 years and serve for seven years as the first three year maintenance will be provided by DURL Consortium - contractors for construction of Dubai Metro.

"The operator was finalized after eight months of hectic work," said Mattar Al Tayer, chairman and Chief Executive of RTA.

The selection of Serco comes after a public tender floated by the RTA, to which several global companies specializing in rail operation and maintenance had applied. "Following analysis of submitted bids, the offer of Serco Co. was nominated as the best bid. The Serco has experience in operating and maintaining a number of metro and rail lines in the UK, Denmark and Australia,'' said Al Tayer.