Doha

The mobility of football fans converging from across the world for the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar will be significantly aided by the seamless transportation experience which Qatar Rail is set to offer, it was announced.

While Doha’s central location in the world makes it easily accessible, the compact hosting plan means that fans can comfortably watch more than one match a day, it was explained in a statement on the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy (SC) website.

Fans attending 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar matches will have the option to travel to stadiums on the ultra-modern Doha Metro and Lusail Tram, which have made significant progress towards completion of the first phase in late 2019. By then, 37 Metro stations will be completed and there will be an average journey time of just three minutes between adjacent stations.

Qatar Rail is expecting as many as 600,000 passenger trips per day by 2021. Construction works on Doha Metro are in full swing as Qatar Rail has now completed nearly 60% of the 113km of tunnelling, using 21 tunnel boring machines (TBM).

The Lusail tram system largely runs at street level, but involves some tunnelling which is now complete. In total, more than 27,000 people are working on the construction of the Metro network, to be delivered in two phases and will include four lines. In central Doha, it will mainly run underground while on the outskirts of the city the lines will run at ground level or be elevated.

The Doha Metro will start operations of the first phase in the fourth quarter of 2019. Phase one covers a distance of 80km across Doha, of which 63km is underground.

The Lusail tram network adds a further 38km and an additional 37 stations. Completion of the Lusail network is scheduled for 2020.

Ian Williams, SC transport senior manager, said that constant collaboration with Qatar Rail meant that transportation plans were advancing at a rapid pace: “Qatar Rail’s commitment and achievements till date showcase how well Doha Metro is progressing and we have a close co-operation in place. As many of our proposed host venues will be connected by the metro, we have been working with them from the start and have seen Qatar Rail accomplish major achievements in record time.”

Doha Metro will be built over two phases: The first phase will see the Red, Gold, and Green lines opening in 2019, with 37 stations and 75 km of revenue lines.

The Red line will offer a very convenient and reliable alternative to driving within the heart of the capital. A trip from the airport to Lusail, where the venue for the 2022 FIFA World Cup opening and final matches is to be located, will take only 36-minutes.

The Green Line will take fans to two proposed host venues as it runs east from Al Mansoura to Al Riffa in the west. As it passes through Education City, it will stop at Qatar Foundation Stadium, the proposed host venue through to the quarter-finals of the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar. There are 11 stations along the line, including a stop at Al Rayyan, the proposed venue for the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar and future home of the historic Al Rayyan Football Club. Both these stadiums are currently under construction alongside four others across Qatar.

Also to be completed before 2019, the Gold line will take football fans from Msheireb, the main interchange station and a gathering point for spectators located near Doha’s Souq Waqif, to the Sports City in the Aspire Zone housing the historic Khalifa International Stadium, a proposed quarter-final venue which will be completed by the end of 2016.