Dubai’s Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) has officially awarded the AED10.6bn ($2.9bn) contract to design and build the Dubai Metro’s Route 2020 link to a consortium of Spain’s Acciona, Turkey’s Gulermak and France’s Alstom.

The winner was announced and confirmed on 29 June.

The contract calls for Alstom to supply 50 trains: 15 will serve the Expo route and 35 will be used for the existing metro route. Alstom will also cater to electromechanical works, while Acciona and Gulermak will undertake the civil works. France’s Thales Group will provide the systems for the metro.

According to RTA director-general Mattar al-Tayer, the construction works started after laying the foundation stone last September. It is also understood the consortium is now undertaking soil analysis and sourcing no objection certificates (NOCs). Drilling works for laying pillars are expected to commence before the end of 2016.

“The test run of the newly extended line is anticipated to start in the final quarter of 2019, and the official service is scheduled for launch on 20 May 2020, five months before the opening of Expo 2020,” Al-Tayer said.

The scheme, known as Route 2020, involves building a 15-kilometre-long line branching off the existing Red Line at the Nakheel Harbour & Tower station, between the Ibn Battuta Mall and Jumeirah Lake Towers stations. The line will also connect to Al-Maktoum International airport. About 11.8km of the line will be elevated, with five elevated stations and two underground stations.