Dubai undertakes study for trackless tram

Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) will undertake a study to deploy trackless tram systems at eight locations across the city as part of its Dubai Tram network expansion.

The self-driving tram system will operate on virtual tracks, using camera-guided painted lines on dedicated lanes, the UAE state-run Wam news agency reported.

Powered by electricity, the eco-friendly tram is cost-effective and has a faster construction time than traditional trams.

Each tram will have three carriages with a capacity of 300 passengers, with a top speed of 70km per hour and an operational speed of 25km to 60km per hour. A single charge allows the tram to travel a distance of 100km.

The tram has completed 950,000 journeys and served 60 million passengers since opening in November 2014.

The new plan was disclosed during the Dubai Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s review of the RTA’s future plans.

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The 2024-2027 main roads development plan will add 22 projects across Dubai’s expanding road network at the cost of AED16 billion ($4.4 billion). No cost was given for the tram expansion project.

The emirate is also set to introduce autonomous buses. Traveling at 40km per hour, the buses are designed for first- and last-mile transit, linking main transport hubs to final destinations.

Each bus can accommodate between 10 and 20 passengers.

The emirate’s ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, last week approved the 2025-27 budget cycle, which includes AED272 billion in expenditure, against estimated revenues of AED302 billion.

Almost half of spending in 2025 has been allocated to infrastructure projects, including roads, tunnels, bridges, renewable energy facilities and the emirate’s rainwater drainage network development plan.