Qatar’s campaign to link towns within its borders and provide connections to neighbouring states has made progress in recent weeks with the award of a turnkey contract for the Doha Metro and the launch of a new prequalification process for civil works on Phase 1 of the Long Distance Passenger and Freight Rail network.  

A Phase 1 Doha Metro contract for rolling stock and railway systems was awarded to a Mitsubishi Heavy Industries-led consortium which includes Mitsubishi Corp, Hitachi, Kinki Sharyo and Thales. MHI will undertake overall project management and system integration and be responsible for the track, power supply, platform screen doors and tunnel ventilation.

Mitsubishi Corp and Kinki Sharyo will jointly supply 75 three-car driverless train sets. Thales is supplying communications-based train control, telecoms, a security system, an operations control centre and an automatic fare collection system.

The contract includes maintenance over 20 years. Hitachi will undertake facilities management, which includes the supply of maintenance and inspection vehicles while also performing some project management duties.

Phase 1 of the metro is scheduled for completion by October 2019. The second phase will bring the network to 241 route-km with 106 stations including123 route-km underground. The metro will connect the main areas of Doha such as the airport, the old city and new areas such as West Bay and Lusail.

Meanwhile, the Louis Berger Egis Rail Joint Venture has been commissioned to provide project management consultancy services for all elevated and at-grade sections of the Doha Metro at a contract value of $79 million.

The newly contracted sections include the Red Line North, Red Line South and Green Line which will provide access to the stadiums being developed for the FIFA Qatar World Cup in 2022.

PREQUALIFICATION
Meanwhile, the new prequalification process for Long Distance Passenger and Freight Rail network will see the civil works and railway systems contracts awarded separately.

The Phase 1 civil contract covers the design, construction, integration, testing, commissioning and defect liability for earthworks, bridges, culverts and camel crossings, 133 km of slab track (with the Doha West International option potentially adding a further 23 km), freight yards and  station architecture.

Prequalification documents are to be submitted by March 22. Qatar Rail expects to release documentation in mid-2015, with a five-month tendering period. The contact will then be awarded in mid-2016, with Phase 1 scheduled to open for commercial service at the end of 2018.

Qatar Rail is to undertake separate procurement to appoint a railway systems supplier, which would act as a subcontractor to the civil works contractor. This subcontractor would provide ETCS Level 2 and telecoms equipment including GSM-R suitable for future operating speeds up to 270 km/h.

Phase 1A, to be completed in 2018, covers a 71 km route connecting the Saudi Arabian border (Abu Sammra) to the Triangle Junction and involves a mixed traffic line suitable for 200 km/hr passenger and 120 km /hr freight service. Phase 1B, to be completed in 2018, entails a 32 km line from the Triangle to the Doha Intermodal Yard and a 30 km connection from the Intermodal Yard to the Mesaieed port and industrial area. Both segments involve freight services.

Phase 1C, to be completed in 2018, involves a 23 km Doha West International option.

Phase 2 of the long-distance project, scheduled for completion in 2021, will connect Doha West to Bahrain across 160 km. There will be an electrified line suitable for 270 km/hour within Qatar and 250 km/h in Bahrain.

In Phase 3 stretching 80 km, scheduled for completion in 2021, there will be another 80 km Doha West-Bahrain line with links to Al Khor and Ras Laffan. It will be an electrified line suitable for 250 km/hr passenger and 120 km/hr freight trains.