GCC countries to invest more than $115 billion in rail projects

Industry experts recently announced that having and maintaining stations where travelers feel comfortable is crucial to attracting ridership. The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) hosts a variety of rail projects, including trains, trams, light rail lines, metro lines and monorails.

With the investment of $45 billion in Saudi Arabia, $35 billion in Qatar, $15 billion in both Kuwait and the UAE and $10 billion in Bahrain, ridership is essential to the successful implementation of the rail systems.

"While the GCC countries are constructing a large number of rail projects, in order for them to succeed in growing strong ridership numbers, they need to create uncluttered, well-lit stations where travelers feel comfortable," Hunter Douglas Middle East General Manager Frans van de Laak said.

The tapered baffles of extruded aluminum that are installed in Dubai Metro's Union Station and the Delft Railway Station absorb the noise of trains and travelers while providing the strength needed to support the station ceiling against the vibrations of passing trains. The artificial lighting installed between the baffles also provides a sense of security to travelers as they pass through the station.

"This is just one small part of a complex puzzle," Daniël Jongtien, of Benthem Crouwel Architects, said. "Together with Hunter Douglas, we designed the baffles in such a way that they bow, as it were, to the rush of passers-by, with the vertical baffles gradually turning horizontal. It provides a natural way of leading travelers towards the stairs."

Union Station is the busiest station of the Dubai Metro system. Both it and the Delft Station were assembled piece by piece by Hunter Douglas, with the components numbered to ensure an efficient installation.