Qatar Rail Launches Lusail Tram Preview Service

Lusail Tram

Qatar Railways Company (Qatar Rail) has launched the first phase of the preview service of the Lusail Tram on Saturday. The first phase includes the preview service of six stations on the Orange line, which are Marina, Marina Promenade, Yacht Club, Esplanade, Energy City South and Legtaifiya.

In this regard, Engineer Jassim Al Ansari, Chief of Program Delivery at Qatar Rail, said: "we are pleased with this significant milestone for Qatar Rail. The Lusail Tram project is one of the pillars of the integrated transport system. Qatar Rail delivered the project within the assigned time frame and according to the highest standards. During the past months, we have successfully completed the technical testing for this current stage, and we are confident the Lusail Tram will be a key player in the overall transportation system once the entire network is opened through providing Lusail City with a modern and sustainable transport network."

Lusail Tram is a fully integrated railway and one of the most complex and advanced tram systems in the world, thereby ensuring a very high standard of operations and safety for our customers.

Approximately 98 million man-hours have been spent during the project construction and has received many international safety awards such as the RoSPA Gold awards and the BritishSafety Council Award, where the project excelled in terms of occupational safety and no major incidents were recorded during the period The project.

"Lusail Tram trains are both eco- and user-friendly, providing a greener, more efficient option than cars.

Each tram train consist of 64 seats and a comfortable capacity of 209 passengers in both Standard and Family Class." Eng. Ahmad Al Saleh, The Lusail Tram Project Director commented, "The Lusail tram trains were manufactured in France by Alstom, which is one of the largest train manufacturers in the world. The Lusail Tram fleet consists of 28 "Citadis X05" trains that use ground power supply technology. The maximum speed can reach 60 km/h. The trains have 6 screens to display travel information and around 20 USB ports." He also added, " The design of the Lusail Tram was inspired by "Al Mehmel", which signifies "The Dhow" a traditional Qatari boat used for pearl fishing. The design concept focused on the sea and dhow pearl fishing with the blue accent colours of the marine environment."

As part of Qatar Rails efforts to provide an integrated transportation experience between all its networks, existing Doha Metro Travel Cards will allow customers to seamlessly move throughout the Metro and Tram networks, as well as provide access to our metroexpress and metrolink services. Travel Cards work across both the Tram and the Metro with no additional costs; however, customers must always remember to Tap In & Tap Out using the validators onboard the Tram to avoid paying twice. Legtaifiya station connects Lusail Tram to the Doha Metro network. Customers can ask the customer service staff at the station to get travel information.

Road safety is also an important aspect that Qatar Rail is looking at, since the Lusail tram network is still undergoing tests in Lusail City. Qatar Rail is keen to educate the public on road safety with the tram system.

Abdulrahman Ali Al Malik, Senior Director of QSHESE at Qatar Rail, said, "The tram system differs from other vehicles that travel on the road. The trams run on fixed tracks at a steady speed and cannot stop as quickly as cars. Therefore, we are keen to release awareness campaigns with the start of the preview service in Lusail City, to introduce the tram system and educate the public on the tram trains and what to expect to see on the roads. In addition, it is of a high importance that pedestrians and drivers abide by traffic safety guidelines, signs and traffic signals, to avoid the risks that may occur as a result of a collision with the tram train during its movement in the city."

Total staff employed in operating and maintaining the Lusail Tram Network is approximately 510 staff which includes railway systems in different specialties, The Lusail Tram Network is managed from the Operations Control Center at the Tram Depot located west of Lusail City.

Once fully open, the Lusail Tram network will be 28 km long, comprising four lines and 25 stations (where 2 stations will connect with the Metro network). It will connect various government offices, residential towers, leisure and sports facilities, avenues, marinas and other major attractions across Lusail City. The network will be phased in its opening to public, as the exciting city of Lusail grows.

SOURCE: QNA