Tokyo--Dubai Rapid Link (DURL), an international consortium led by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI), has received an order from Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), Government of Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), for Phase II construction of a fully automated, driverless light rail transit (LRT) system: the Dubai Metro, currently under construction by DURL. The other members of DURL include three Japanese companies - Mitsubishi Corporation (MC), Obayashi Corporation and Kajima Corporation - and Yapi Merkezi Insaat ve Sanayi A.S. of Turkey.

The contract for Phase II construction, valued at approximately 130 billion yen, was stipulated in the Phase I contract as an option signed between DURL and Dubai Municipality in July 2005.

The Dubai Metro will be the world's longest driverless rail system, with a total length of approximately 70 kilometers (km) comprising a 52 km Red Line (Phase I) and 18 km Green Line (Phase II). The Green Line will run between the Dubai Airport Free Zone, the physical distribution hub of the area, and Dubai Healthcare City. The two lines will have two transfer stations where they intersect. The Phase II construction is slated to commence in July 2006, with service scheduled to begin in March 2010. Construction work on the Red Line (Phase I), which will run between Dubai International Airport and Jebel Ali Port, commenced in August 2005 and is progressing on schedule toward the targeted service launch in September 2009.

The Phase II contract calls for supply and construction of the entire package for the fully automated, driverless rail system, including civil engineering work. As with the Phase I contract, MHI and MC will furnish the complete rail system, including rolling stock, automatic train control system, power supply system and rail tracks. Obayashi, the leader of the construction team, will construct the tunnels, station buildings and substructures for elevated rail tracks together with Kajima and Yapi Merkezi.

Dubai, which has become an international hub of various functions such as trade, finance, physical distribution and travel, has been experiencing a construction boom in recent years. In response to the deteriorating traffic situation in the city due to the rapid growth of the population, improvement in the public transportation system has been called for as a matter requiring urgent attention. The DURL consortium believes that the high evaluation given by RTA to the consortium for its Phase I construction work contributed to the award of Phase II construction contract.