Dubai’s Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) has invited companies to submit prequalification documents by 31 May for the design-and-build of the new metro link connecting to the Dubai Expo 2020 site.

The firms that have been invited include systems, rolling stock and construction companies, which will be expected to form multi-discipline consortiums. Civil construction and systems integration will be the most important factors when the RTA evaluates the capabilities of consortiums, with each accounting for 25 out of the total 100 points on offer. Rolling stock will account for 20 points, and system supply and financing capabilities will account for 15 points each.

The transport agency has also invited interested firms to attend an industry briefing on 7 May where more details will be released about the project, which is the largest infrastructure scheme that will be built for the Expo.

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 close between the Ibn Battuta Mall and Jumeirah Lake Towers stations.

About 11km of the line will be elevated, with five elevated stations and two underground stations.

In January, MEED reported that the RTA is preparing to tender the contract in July after expressions of interest (EoIs) are sought from contractors. Suppliers and contractors have already been in contact with the RTA.

In July 2014, the RTA awarded a joint venture of the US’ Parsons International and France’s Systra the contract to complete the preliminary engineering for the new metro line. Work on the study began in August.

The RTA is also planning other extensions to the metro network. They include a link connecting to the Dubai Parks & Resorts development in the Jebel Ali area close to the Abu Dhabi border; an extension of the existing Green Line, which will be 20.6km-long with 11 new stations running from Jadaf to Dubai International Academic City (DIAC); and a Red Line extension that will be 3.5km-long and will run from Rashidiya to Mirdif City Centre. 

The Parsons/Systra team is the consultant for both the Red and Green line extensions. In 2014, these schemes were due to be completed in time for the Expo in 2020, although it is now expected that the target completion dates may be moved as the RTA focuses on Route 2020.

It is understood that discussions have been held by the transport agency and Dubai Parks & Resorts for the theme park rail link.

Another line still in the very early planning stages will run from Al-Ghubaiba station in the Bur Dubai area, through the Satwa area, connect to the existing Red Line at the Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall station and continue on to Nad al-Sheba and the Meydan area, where a major transport hub will be located that will include the Dubai station on the Etihad Railway network.