UAE: Design is a key element of many projects in Dubai, not least the Al Sufouh tramway for which a mock-up car has been unveiled.

The diamond-shaped front ends of the 11 Alstom Citadis 402 trams for Phase I will be dark in colour, providing a contrast to the bright interiors. Inside there will be three seat colours to distinguish the Gold, Silver and Women & Children classes; the Gold class will be furnished with leather seats.

The tram has been designed to operate in extreme climatic conditions, with powerful air-conditioning to handle temperatures reaching 55°C, humidity rates up to 100% and the sandy, corrosive atmosphere.

The tramway will have Alstom's APS II wireless ground level power supply system, and operations will be managed using a modified version of the company's Urbalis communications-based train control. All stops will have platform screen doors, with automatic control of the vehicles to ensure accurate stopping and synchronisation between the tram and platform doors.

Read the full story in the December issue of Metro Report International.