The UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum has launched the tunnelling works of the Route 2020 Project, which will add 15 km to the Dubai Metro Red Line from Nakheel Harbour and Tower Station to the site of Expo 2020 Dubai.

The tunnel starts at Discovery Gardens and stretches 3.2 km to The Green Community. It reaches depths ranging from 12.5 to 36 m.

He also reviewed the interior design of the new rolling stock of the Dubai Metro and the progress of the project, reported state news agency Wam.

Upon his arrival at Discovery Gardens, Sheikh Mohammed was welcomed by Mattar Al Tayer, the director-general and chairman of the board of executive directors of the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), along with the top executives of Parsons Systra, the project engineer and Expolink Consortium, the project contractor.

The RTA chief said that the giant tunnel boring machine, named Al Wugeisha Expo 2020, would pass through the underground station near Jumeirah Golf Estates in January next year and by the end of December all tunnel drilling works will be completed, according to Wam.

The first of the new Dubai Metro rolling stock, Al Tayer said, will arrive in July 2018 and construction work for the metro viaducts will be completed in November next year.

All railway works of Route 2020 will be completed in July 2019, and the trial run of the metro will start in February 2020, stated the report, citing Al Tayer.