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Qatar eyeing GCC rail with progress on Doha Metro

Tunnelling works for Doha Metro are 50% complete as Qatar progresses on its Lusail Light Rail Transit and Long Distance Trains project

by Neha Bhatia
Qatar eyeing GCC rail with progress on Doha Metro
Qatar eyeing GCC rail with progress on Doha Metro

Tunnelling works for the 113km Doha Metro are “around 50% complete”, using 21 tunnel boring machines, an official from Qatar Rail announced on Tuesday, 15 September, 2015. 

Abdulla Abdulaziz Al Subaie, Qatar Rail’s managing director, said: “The Doha metro system construction works are phased over two stages, the first of which sees the construction of three out of the four lines (Red, Gold, and Green) and 37 stations – with forecasts to open these lines to the public by late 2019.

“Qatar Rail is proud to have been entrusted with a massive share of this unprecedented development building a world-class, efficient public transportation system that includes three interconnected projects: the Doha Metro, the Lusail Light Rail Transit project and the Long Distance rail project,” Al Subaie added. 

The metro project is progressing as scheduled, following the award of $16.5bn (QAR60bn) worth of contracts to nine joint ventures. 

According to local daily The Peninsula, “in executing its tunnelling works, the Qatar Rail managing director said, the company has achieved a huge milestone by breaking the world record for the largest number of tunnel boring machines operating at the same time under one city”.

“We received this recognition along with an international certificate from the Guinness Book of World Records,” Al Subaie said.

Construction work for the Lusail Light Rail Transit project is also underway simultaneously, the report added. 

“We are also proceeding with the development of the long distance passenger and freight rail network that will tie into the GCC rail system,” Al Subaie said.

“This will form an important part of Qatar’s gateway for commerce and trade activity in the GCC becoming a driving force for the Qatari economy. The project encourages intra-GCC trade which currently records an annual growth of 5% and will increase with the Long Distance Trains.

“When finished, the Long Distance project will run for a total of 2,200km from Kuwait to Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, the UAE and the Sultanate of Oman. Each train will carry the same amount of freight as 400 trucks,” he added.Â