Education City tram celebrates millionth passenger

The Education City Tram will start a third line –Green - by the second quarter of 2023, expanding the network’s capacity and routes and connecting several important locations, Gulf Times has learnt.The Education City Tram has so far transported more than one million passengers safely and efficiently to various locations within Qatar Foundation ( QF) since its launch some two and half years ago.The proposed Green line, will include stops such as Sidra Medicine and Qatar National Conventional Centre (QNCC), QF has said in a statement.The Education City Tram is a pioneering transport system that has brought a new form of sustainable travel to Qatar and elevated the nation’s profile as a nerve centre of innovation."It's a tremendous accomplishment for the tram system to have transported over one million passengers,” said Hamad al-Kuwari, executive director of City Operations at Qatar Foundation (QF)."The fact that the tram network has safely and efficiently transported more than one million passengers demonstrates its effectiveness as a convenient and reliable mode of transportation for many people, while also contributing to the reduction of traffic congestion and air pollution in Education City specifically and in Qatar in general.”"To accommodate the increasing number of passengers now and in the future, the Education City Tram must have efficient scheduling, sufficient infrastructure, effective passenger flow management, regular maintenance, and continuous investment, all of which are essential from an operational standpoint to ensure the system is safe and dependable for its users,” continued al-Kuwari.Aligning with QF’s sustainability goals, the tram network currently has 24 stops across two lines, yellow and blue, connecting various academic campuses and research centres, as well as public spaces like the Green Spine and sporting facilities including the Education City Stadium.The 19 state-of-the-art Avenio trams have an onboard energy-storing system that removes the need for overhead power cables, allowing them to travel from one stop to the next without charging, providing an environmentally friendly alternative for commuters within QF and helping to reduce Education City’s carbon footprint. On average, it carries 3,000 passengers daily.During the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, the tram also played a key role in facilitating the fans’ journey to the Education City Stadium, with ridership increasing to an average of 9,000 passengers on match days – with trams arriving at two-minute intervals.Al-Kuwari noted that operating a tram network isn’t free of challenges and called on visitors’ cooperation to keep accidents at bay. "The challenges of operating the tram are handled daily by qualified engineers, yet it requires Education City visitors to join hands with QF’s City Operations to avoid traffic violations in the tram crossing areas on the streets,” he added.Supporting Qatar’s overarching sustainability goals, the tram makes QF a more environmentally friendly, interconnected, and accessible environment, as well as provides a travel option that aims to reduce vehicle use and emissions within and around QF. It gives users new opportunities for social interaction while educating them about the importance of sustainable transport, and the health benefits that result from using alternative modes of travel.