The Prime Minister explores the progress of the Doha Metro Red Line Project
- Al Subaie: HE the Prime Minister encouraged Qatar Rail’s officials to continue their efforts to accomplish the required work as previously planned.
- Al Muhannadi: We are all much honored to have His Excellency between us; this visit reminds us of the great responsibility we have been entrusted with.
His Excellency Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al-Thani, the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, visited today Al Qassar station site, as part of the Red Line North (RLN) of the Doha Metro project, to get briefed on work progress and ongoing excavations, in presence of a number of ministers and decision makers from the Qatar Railways Company (Qatar Rail).
The Doha Metro project entails 21 tunnel boring machines (TBM) set for the Doha Metro Phase 1 excavation works, whereas the sophisticated machines are excavating 113 km of tunnels, up to 2018. Eight TBMs out of 21 are working at the Red Line; Lebretha, Al Mayeda, Al Khor , Al Bidda, Luhweila, Msheireb, Doha, and Al Wakra.
During the visit, His Excellency Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al-Thani, the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, launched the Lebretha TBM and listened to a detailed explanation on the work mechanism presented by His Excellency Mr. Jassim bin Saif Al Sulaiti, Minister of Transportation, and the Qatar Rail’s executives. In addition, the presentation clearly displayed the QHSE (Quality, Health, Safety and Environment) regulations applied on site with respect to the personnel’s wellbeing and work conditions. The Prime Minister also explored part of the Red Line tunnels that are currently under work, accompanied by Qatar Rail’s Project Manager at the project who gave a round up brief on the achievements and challenges that occurred during 2014.
In his statement, Eng. Abdullah bin AbdulAziz al-Turki Al Subaie, Managing Director of Qatar Rail said: “His Excellency the Prime Minister’s visit to Al Qassar station at the Red Line North (Underground) project, encourages Qatar Rail to go forward in its projects at the fullest potential, with much more motivation and determination”.
Al Subaie also noted that HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior encouraged Qatar Rail’s decision makers to continue their efforts to accomplish the required work as previously planned.
“By being part of this mega project, we are also acting as a catalyst in realizing Qatar’s National Vision aiming at transforming Qatar into an advanced country by 2030”, he added.
For his part, Eng. Saad Ahmed Al Mohannadi, CEO of Qatar Rail, said: "The visit of His Excellency the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior really motivates the Qatar Rail team. We are all much honored to have His Excellency between us; this visit reminds us of the great responsibility we have been entrusted with”. Al Mohannadi added: “With the high-tech tunnel-boring machines, we will put all efforts together to provide Doha with the highest international standards delivering efficient metro underground tunneling structure”.
Al Mohannadi pointed out that, by 2019, the machines will accomplish the excavation of 70 km of tunnels across the Qatari capital, for the Red Line (North and South Lines) as well as the Green and Gold Lines.
During his tour, His Excellency the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior was given a presentation on the different work stages at the Red Line of Doha Metro’s project.
It is worth mentioning that the Red Line runs from the south Doha to the north and constitues of 18 stations for Phase 1 (13 underground stations and 5 stations above ground level) which are Al Wakra, Ras Bu Fontas, Economic Zone, Hamad international Airport (Terminal 1), Oqba Ibn Nafie, Al Matar, Umm Ghuwailina, Al Doha Al Jadeda, Msheireb, Al Bidda, Corniche, West Bay, Doha Exhibition and Convention Centre, Al Qassar, Katara, Legtaifiya, Qatar University and Lusail. The Red Line runs on a total path of 43 km, including 29 km underground through twin tunnels and 14 km on a bridge above the ground.
