Railway Network To Be Completed In Three Phases

The Qatar Railways Development Company (QRDC) will work on the Qatar Railways Network in three phases. The first to come on board will be the monorail metro system largely covering the ever-expanding capital, followed by linking the network with other parts of the country such as freight-intense locations of Ras Laffan and Mesaieed, and finally the international traffic to Bahrain (via the causeway) as well as Saudi Arabia.

The design consultants to QRDC have colour-coded various rail lines, red, blue, yellow, green and others that will run across the peninsula with all stations (or terminals) linking to each other.

While the Doha Metro system of the Qatar Railways Network is based on the Qatar Transport Master Plan chalked up by the Urban Planning and Development Authority, the international connections are based on the proposed Gulf Arab rail network.

“What we have proposed; and this is subject to changes, is a 340km freight track using three terminals in Mesaieed, Ras Laffan and Dukhan eventually carrying 36,000mn tonnes per year,” Deutsche Bahn International regional director Stefan Herzberg explained during a presentation yesterday. Qatar currently imports 11,000mn tonnes of goods per year.

The Doha Metro meanwhile, will have approximately 80 stations with tracks running southwest to Industrial Area (green line), across the vital C-Ring Road (blue line), east-west towards the Education City (golden line), and south towards New Doha International Airport (NDIA, red line).

“There are expected to be four major terminals in the Doha Metro system, at the NDIA, at West Bay, Education City and a main Doha Station,” Herzberg said.

The current population of Doha is expected to double in 10 years. The student population at the Education City is also expected to rise to 10,000 and thousands of faculty and support staff, as well as 3,000 visitors on special occasions.
“Then there is the multiple light rail people mover network in areas such as Lusail and elsewhere,” he said.

“The idea itself is based on four things: gauging the demand, looking at the operation and future sustainability, public acceptance, and finally phased implementation,” Herzberg said.

The total Qatar Railways Network is expected to have a track-work of 651km with 98 stations, the official said.


Source: gulf-times.com