Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) says it will conduct the first round of initial tests on its new Al-Sufouh tram service in January 2014.

The RTA says it plans to receive its first trams from France’s Alstom in December for the project. The tests will continue till the cut-off date for the start of the tram service in November 2014. In 2012, a consortium led by Alstom won a 13-year $231m maintenance contract for the tram project’s first phase, which runs from Dubai Marina up to Knowledge Village.

Construction work restarted in the project in January 2011. Work stalled as Dubai wrestled with debt problems in 2009.

The total network comprises 17 passenger stations, of which 11 stations are covered under phase one. Each train measures 44 metres in length and has a capacity to accommodate about 300 passengers. The fleet consists of 11 trams in phase one. Once phase two is complete, there will be a fleet of 25 trains able to transport about 5,000 passengers an hour.

The tramway will run at grade level along Al-Sufouh road, but will be elevated in sections of Dubai Marina.

Addressing potential safety concerns about the tram, RTA chairman Mattar Al-Tayer says fences will be built to separate the tram from pedestrians throughout the tramway and signalised crossings will be installed near all tram stations.

He added that pavements along the tram will be elevated to discourage motorists from entering the tracks and emphasised that trams will be given priority over vehicular traffic in normal conditions.