DUBAI: The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has organised several field visits for engineers and specialists of the Rail Agency to Austria, France and Germany to review the progress in the manufacturing and supply of electric rail tracks and junctions (switches) of Route 2020 Project.

“The visit to the three countries aimed at verifying the compliance with the standards set for the components and accessories of Route 2020 Project prior to their shipment to the project site in the middle of this year,” said the Executive Director, Rail Planning and Projects Development Rail Agency of the RTA, Abdul Reda Abu Al Hasan.

Upon the endorsement of engineers, these items will be shipped to the site of Route 2020 Project in the middle of 2018.

“The visit to Austria covered the rail track factory to ensure the quality of manufacturing and attend lab tests to verify the compliance of rail tracks with the specifications of the Project and conformity with the international and European standards. Visitors attended site tests to ensure that the rail tracks are free from internal cracks and manufacturing defects through using ultrasound technology,” said Abdul Reda.

“The second visit to France was for the factory of rail junctions to verify the efficiency and quality of manufacturing rail junctions needed to expand Rashidiya Depot and the Turn-Back area on the Red Line as part of the required modifications.

“Visitors reviewed the designs of rail junctions to ensure their conformity with the required standards and attended lab and field tests on the welding of rail junctions to ensure they are of high quality and free from faults and internal cracks. The visit was also meant to endorse the quality of those components before their shipment and delivery to the project site in the second half of this year.”

On a visit to France, they covered the production facilities of the main electric rail tracks to ensure the efficiency and quality of manufacturing rail tracks and junctions (switches) for Route 2020 Project.

“The delegation checked the designs of rail tracks and junctions of the main rail track to ensure compatibility with the project standards. It also attended lab and fields tests of welding rail track junctions to ensure that the rail tracks are of high quality, and free from inherent faults & cracks,’’ noted Abdul Reda.

He said the manufacturing materials for Route 2020 Project are being “selected from top suppliers and subjected to rigorous international standards to ensure the highest safety levels in all project phases, and it is a defining moment in the history of this Project associated with the global showpiece (Expo 2020) hosted by Dubai.”