Nakheel to launch Middle East's first monorail

Original Article

High-tech trains arrived from Japan over the weekend.

Dubai: Nakheel, Dubai’s master developer, on Monday began site testing for its newly delivered monorail trains on Palm Jumeirah the first monorail service in the Middle East.

High-tech trains arrived from Japan this weekend from leading railway system manufacturer Hitachi Ltd. Two trains were raised on to the 5.45km track on Palm Jumeirah, and are now making initial test journeys, closely monitored by the RTA and operators SMRTE.

“It’s great to see the Palm Monorail trains well and truly on track. Having the first monorail in the Middle East here in the Palm Jumeirah is indicative of Nakheel’s vision, leadership and ambition as a developer. It will ensure we continue to play a critical role in Dubai’s growth as a global centre for tourism, and marks our commitment to creating sustainable transport systems, hand-in-hand with our partners at the RTA,” said Nakheel's Managing Director, Robert Lee.

Tests on the trains will be carried out for the next six months before the monorail is opened to the public in April next year.