The first three lines of the first phase of construction of the Doha Metro and the Lusail LRT (light rail transit) are expected to be operational by the end of 2020, Qatar Rail revealed.
Abdulla bin Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Subaie, managing director and chairman of the executive committee of Qatar Rail, told Oxford Business Group: “We are still on schedule to open the first three lines of phase 1 of the Doha Metro and the Lusail LRT by the end of 2020."
In May 2016, Doha Metro completed 100km of tunneling and 41% of the whole project. More 11km is required to finalize underground developments with the longest line, the Red Line, expected to be ready in Q4 2016.
"We anticipate finishing the remainder by the last quarter of 2016. 100% of the tunnels for the Lusail LRT have been completed."
This year, Qatar Rail will be awarding the mechanical, engineering and plumbing contracts, and the architectural sub-contracts to complete the fit-out for all of the 37 metro stations for Phase 1.
The full-scale mock-up for the metro trains and LRT trams will arrive to Qatar’s capital in 2016, Al-Subaie said.
"The contract also includes a bonus clause for contractors for the early completion of milestones; we are the first major project in Qatar to incentivize construction in this way," he added.
"At present, we have the ability to start construction of Phase I of the long-distance portion in 2016 and expect these tenders to be released during the coming year.”
Construction Week
22 August