(MENAFN- Gulf Times) Nearly 50% of the tunnelling works of the Doha Metro is complete and the project is on schedule so far, Qatar Rail managing director Abdulla Abdulaziz al-Turki al-Subaie told the Qatar Transport Forum yesterday.
Contracts worth more than QR60bn have been awarded to nine joint ventures and 21 tunnel boring machines (TBMs) are at work in as many underground locations, he explained. The Doha Metro project spans over a distance of about 113km.
Al-Subaie said Qatar is currently undertaking roughly $44bn worth infrastructure projects and another $35bn would be spent in the next three years for more development works.
Qatar Rail, which is currently involved in developing Doha Metro, is building an efficient world-class transportation system that also includes two more inter-connected projects, Lusail Light Rail Transit and Long Distance passenger and freight rail, he said.
The official reiterated that the Doha Metro project, the construction of which is spread over two stages, would be ready for operations in late 2019. The first phase comprising the Red, Green and Green, has 37 stations.
Al-Subaie said the country and the rail company have achieved a major milestone by breaking the Guinness World Records for the largest number of tunnel boring machines operating simultaneously in 21 locations in the same city.
Supreme Committee of Delivery and Legacy secretary general Hassan al-Thawadi expressed hope that the country has shown to the world that it is capable of hosting the FIFA 2022 World Cup at the highest standards ever, supported by a remarkably good transport infrastructure.
The continuous development of Hamad International Airport, the ongoing works of Doha Metro, and the Hamad Port under construction would contribute substantially to the improvement of the country's transport infrastructure in coming days, he said.
In less than seven years from now, Qatar would boast of one of the best transport systems not only in the region, but also at the global level, said al-Thawadi. It would be capable of impeccably ferrying the sport fans expected to throng Doha for the 2022 event, he added.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.