DOHA: The first Metro rail service is not likely to be flagged off in Doha before the fourth and last quarter (October- December) of 2019.
There will be three classes of coaches in each train. Within Doha, trains will run at a speed of 80km per hour, but outside the city limits, the speed would double.
Trains will stop for about 90 seconds at rail stations for passengers to alight and board.
Within the city limits, the railroad will run underground, while outside Greater Doha, the tracks will be over ground.
There will be 105 rail stations and all stations in Doha will be underground.
The maximum depth of the underground railroad can at some sites reach up to 50 metres.
The Katara Cultural Village will have two stations, while there will be one near the Villaggio Mall.
There will be a station in the West Bay Lagoon as well, near the Zig-Zag Tower, while Najma, Al Muntazah, Al Sadd and Maither (a sprawling suburb of Doha) will all have stations.
Hamad International Airport, the New Doha Port, Equestrian Club, Barwa Village in Al Wakra as well as Al Wakra town will also have stations.
The distance between stations is likely to be one to 1.5km, the local Arabic daily Al Watan reported yesterday. Work has already begun on the two major stations: Musheireb and Education City.
The former will be the largest junction while the latter will be the second largest.
The Musheireb station will have 190-metre long platform and will be located some 30 meters underground.
The designs of all stations and related buildings will be based on Arab and Islamic architecture.
Traffic is not affected because of the above work, but once work on tunnelling starts, road traffic might be affected due to diversions, the daily said.
The government has allotted all the land required for all the rail projects, including Doha Metro, the one that will connect Qatar to the upcoming GCC rail grid and Lusail City light rail.
The daily said contracts for the rail projects are being awarded to only those foreign companies that have entered into partnerships with local companies.
According to the daily, Metro carriages will have three classes to serve different segments of society. It, however, didn’t say if there would be separate coaches for women, which are likely.
Quoting Qatar Rail Company, the daily said the first service of Doha Metro rail was expected to begin only in the fourth and last quarter of 2019, which is six years from now. The Peninsula
