Overview
- The Roads and Transport Authority announced on Wednesday that it has finished the Blue Line’s first tunnelling phase, publishing video and statements to mark the milestone.
- RTA said the work used a new tunnel boring machine named Al Wugeisha, which is about 163 metres long, weighs over 2,000 tonnes and operates around the clock.
- The authority reported that Al Wugeisha reached production rates up to 30 metres per day, enabling the first phase to be completed in roughly two months compared with earlier average rates near 12 metres per day.
- The 30 km Blue Line will have 14 stations, run roughly half underground and is scheduled to open on September 9, 2029, with published project budgets varying between Dh18 billion and Dh20.5 billion across outlets.
- When finished the Blue Line will expand the metro network to about 131 km, 78 stations and 168 trains, which RTA projects could cut road congestion by roughly 20 percent and reshape commuting patterns across fast‑growing districts; Dubai has separately announced plans for a 42 km Gold Line due in 2032.