Dubai’s Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) has invited consultants to bid for the Airport Express Line project. The bid is for a contract to study and design the rail project which will extend from Dubai International Airport (DXB). It will stretch from DXB which is the Al-Garhoud area to Al-Maktoum International Airport (DWC) in Jebel Ali area. Furthermore, the proposed line will stretch about 55 kilometers and include five stations.
The stations will provide passengers with facilities such as remote airline check-in, baggage drop-off and security screening. The consultants have been allowed until June to submit their proposals. The new line will run from the Red Line metro station at DXB through Al-Jaddaf along Al-Khail Road. It will stretch up to a new station at Jumeirah Village Circle (JVC) before continuing on to DWC.
Scope of Implementation on the Airport Express Line by RTA
The Airport Express line by RTA is the latest metro project to be tendered by the state utility this year. Tendering activity is already ongoing for Route 2020 extension which will start from Expo 2020 metro station. On the other hand, it will connect to DWC’s West Terminal, providing an accessible means of transport. Furthermore, it appears the new line will follow a similar route to that of the Etihad Rail high-speed railway project.
That particular line is currently under construction and is due to be completed by 2030. Because of similar routes, there will be two spur lines. The first will run from the new JVC station to the Al Fardan Exchange metro station at Emirates Golf Club. Conversely, the second will branch out toward Business Bay, where another station will be built. Earlier in April consultants had submitted bids for the project.
The extension to the line will run for about 3km and will feature two stations. The existing Route 2020 metro link is a 15km-long line that branches off the Red Line at Jebel Ali metro station. It also comprises 11.8km of elevated tracks and 3.2km of tunnels. Furthermore, it has five elevated stations and two underground stations.
Other Projects
Dubai is currently focused on many rail projects with the prominent one being the Dubai Blue Line project. The Blue Line consists of 14 stations, including three interchange stations at Jaddaf, Rashidiya and International City 1. It also includes a station in Dubai Creek Harbour. By 2040, the number of daily passengers on the Blue Line is projected to reach 320,000. It will be the first Dubai Metro line to cross Dubai Creek, doing so on a 1,300-metre viaduct. The line is being developed by a consortium of Turkish firms Limak Holding and Mapa Group and the Hong Kong office of China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation.
Project Overview
- Project Name: Airport Express Line
- Location: Dubai
- Project Type: Metro / airport rail link
Timeline
- 2026: Consultants invited to bid for design contract
- June 2026: Proposal submission deadline
- Current phase: Study and design tendering
Site & Scale
- Length: 55 km
- Stations: 5
- Route: From Dubai International Airport (DXB) to Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC)
- Key Stops: Al-Jaddaf, Jumeirah Village Circle
Project Teams
- Client: Roads and Transport Authority
- Consultants: To be appointed (design & study phase)
Infrastructure Scope
- High-speed airport-to-airport metro link
- Passenger facilities (check-in, baggage drop, security screening)
- Connections to existing Red Line metro
- Additional spur lines to Business Bay and Emirates Golf Club areas
Strategic Objectives
- Improve airport connectivity in Dubai
- Reduce travel time between DXB and DWC
- Support passenger growth and aviation expansion
- Enhance integrated urban transport network
Current Status
- Design consultancy tender open
- Part of broader rail expansion pipeline in Dubai
- Awaiting consultant selection and project studies
