On 24.10.2017 the 103 m long TBM named Al Wugeisha Expo 2020 was launched at the Discovery Gardens for tunnel drilling works for the Route 2020 Project. The TBM will cross the underground station near Jumeirah Golf Estates in January next year. It will drive at a depth ranging from 12.5 to 36 m. The 15 km branch project will start at Nakheel Harbour & Tower on the existing Red Line at Dubai, then run on 11.8 km of viaduct with stations serving The Gardens, Discovery Gardens and Al Furjan. The stations at Jumeirah Golf Estates and Dubai Investment Park would be on a 3.2 km underground section, before the terminus at Expo 2020 site.

In December 2018, all tunnel drilling works will be completed. The first of the new Dubai Metro Rolling Stocks will arrive in July 2018, and construction works for the metro viaducts will be completed in November next year. All railway works of Route 2020 will be completed in July 2019, and the trial run of the metro will start in February 2020. The journey time from the Expo site to Dubai Marina is expected to be 16 min.

Roads & Transport Authority had awarded the contract to build Route 2020 in June 2016 to the Expolink consortium of Alstom, Acciona and Gülermak. The EUR2,6 bn (AED10,6 bn) contract includes the supply of 50 trainsets, of which 15 are needed for the new line and 35 to increase capacity on existing routes. Thales will provide railway systems. Click ae/20 for the tunnelbuilder archive. Visit http://www.mediaoffice.ae/en/media-center/news/24/10/2017/route-2020-project.aspx and http://www.dubaimetro.eu/route-2020/. 45/17.