Qatar Rail has signed deals worth $32bn to date and started work on most of the metro stations due to be developed as part of Phase 1, deputy CEO of Qatar Rail, Engineer Hamad al-Bishri has revealed.
Al-Bishri told the Trans4 transport and logistics conference that concluded in Doha recently that Qatar Rail has “officially begun work for the setup of the metro stations in 20 out of 25 locations”.
ConstructionWeekOnline quoted him as saying that the preliminary drilling works had started on some of the metro tunnels, where depths of almost 5 metres have been readied in some areas.
“Similarly, we are moving ahead at great speed with The Lusail Light Rail Transit, slated to be officially delivered by end of 2016,” he said.
Drilling works for the project’s tunnels have already been completed and over 55% of the necessary drilling works for stations have also been carried out.
“We have always strived to make our mark in the world of modern transport - our railway projects ranking among the biggest, most sophisticated and most developed in the Middle East region,” al-Bishri said.
“We continue to do so, working by a delicate yet crucial business equation that sits on three principles: transparency, quality and timely delivery. “
The bulk of the contracts for Phase 1 of the Doha Metro - including main contractors for the Red Line North, Red Line South, Green Line and the Major Stations Package - were awarded in May last year in deals valued at $8.2bn. Jacobs Engineering is handling the project management of the Red Line North and South projects.
The Red Line is within Phase 1 of the Doha Metro Project and represents a significant stage of Qatar’s Integrated Rail Project. Phase 1 involves 58 miles of track to include the Red, Green and Gold lines.
The four lines of the Doha Metro (Red, Green, Blue and Gold) are designed to connect major sites in Qatar linking the north, south and west of the capital. The entire network is anticipated to cover approximately 134 miles and include 100 stations.
The total construction value of the Doha Metro project is estimated to be $36bn.
Hamad al-Bishri
