Doha Metro embarks on its historic journey

Qatar Railways Company (Qatar Rail) created history by launching preview service for the first part of the Doha Metro’s Red Line yesterday. The launch, which was originally planned for 2020, comes almost one year ahead of schedule.

Dreams of thousands of excited residents turned into reality who rushed to experience world-class state-of-the-art Doha Metro trains that began operations from Al Qassar in the north, to Al Wakrah in the south.

Travellers will not have to wait much for trains as there will be a train every six minutes, and the travel time between stations is three minutes.

The service will stop during weekends to progress the work required to open more stations and lines. Qatar Rail has announced the operating hours from 8am to 11pm on weekdays.

The service will stop during weekends to progress the work required to open more stations and lines.

“The preview service, which is launched ahead of schedule, is a testament of the tremendous efforts carried out by Qatar Rail’s executive teams and board of directors, as well as the continuous support of Prime Minister and Interior Minister H E Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani. Thanks to his continuous support and guidance, many achievements have been made ahead of schedule, and today we stand at a turning point as the project shifts from the development stage to the operational stage,” said Eng. Abdulla Saif Al Sulaiti, Chief of Service Delivery at Qatar Rail.

“The preview service is a major opportunity to measure the efficiency of the network and the services we provide. The outputs of the preview service are essential for us, and we will build on them as we prepare for the full opening of the network by 2020,” Eng. Abdulla Saif Al Sulaiti (pictured), Chief of Service Delivery at Qatar Rail, added.

The preview service includes 13 out of 18 stations in the Red Line, which are: Al Qassar, DECC, QIC West Bay, Corniche, Al Bidaa, Msherireb, Al Doha Al Jadeed, Umm Ghawalina, Al Matar Al Qadeem, Oqba Ibn Nafie, Free Zone, Ras Abu Fintas and Al Wakra.

It is an important stage for testing the Doha Metro system with passengers, providing an opportunity to evaluate and review the performance in preparation for the full operation of the network. During this stage, Qatar Rail aims to receive feedback from passengers that will help improve its services to provide the best possible customer experience, and will devote its efforts to making the necessary evaluations to meet the expectations of the public.

“Doha Metro is considered one of the most important pillars of Qatar’s new integrated transport system. We invite everyone to experience the metro during this phase and to share with us their experience so that we can review the key factors that may affect our services in the future. We will develop solutions to address those factors to enhance the experience of passengers,” said Ajlan Eid Al Enazi, Chief of Strategies and Business Development at Qatar Rail. “It is also an opportunity for the public to get a closer look at the new transportation system, become familiar with it, and use it to help us build a customer base before the network is fully operational,” he added.

In terms of service and ticket pricing, Qatar Rail has conducted comprehensive and integrated pricing studies, and has introduced several categories to make tickets accessible to everybody, and available through multiple sales channels. Ticket holders will enjoy a modern, low-cost transport system, making the Doha Metro accessible to all. These factors will enhance the customer experience as well as Qatar Rail’s revenue performance. There are several options available for travel tickets, including Limited Use, Gold Class card and a Standard card.

A single journey will cost QR2 for Standard card holders (including Family Class), while a day pass will cost QR6. A single journey will cost QR10 for Gold Club members, while a day pass will cost QR30. Customers can top up their reusable cards with Travel Credit, which can be purchased at ticket vending machines in all Doha Metro stations.

The Gold Class card can be purchased from Gold Club offices, available in all Doha Metro stations. The Limited Use cards are temporary tickets that can be purchased from the tickets vending machines in stations. Their prices vary depending on trips and classes for either a single journey or a day pass.

Standard cards can be purchased from licensed retailers including Al Meera, Lulu Hypermarket, Carrefour Hypermarket, and Jumbo Electronics. Qatar Rail has already started selling tickets through Al Meera branches, and will soon begin selling them in the other licensed retailers.

By Sachin Kumar | The Peninsula

انطلقت في الثامنة من صباح اليوم الأربعاء أولى رحلات مترو الدوحة للجمهور وسط إقبال كبير.

وأعلنت وزارة المواصلات والاتصالات، أول أمس في بيان صحافي، عن التشغيل المبدئي لجنوب الخط الأحمر من مترو الدوحة، والذي يمتد من محطة القصار إلى محطة الوكرة، يوم الأربعاء.

ويتضمن التشغيل المبدئي 13 محطة في الخط الأحمر من أصل 18، وهي: القصار، ومركز المعارض، والخليج الغربي QIC، والكورنيش، والبدع (محطة التبادل)، ومشيرب (محطة التبادل)، والدوحة الجديدة، وأم غويلينة، والمطار القديم، وعقبة بن نافع، ومنطقة حرة، وراس أبو فنطاس، والوكرة.

وتم تحديد أوقات التشغيل خلال أيام الأسبوع من يوم الأحد حتى يوم الخميس من الساعة الثامنة صباحاً وحتى الحادية عشرة مساء.

وتتوفر بطاقات رحلات مترو الدوحة في المجمعات الاستهلاكية مثل الميرة وكارفور واللولو بقيمة 2 ريال للدرجة الاقتصادية و10 ريالات للدرجة الذهبية (الأولى) للرحلة الواحدة أما سعر تذكرة الاستخدام اليومي 6 ريال للدرجة السياحية و 30 ريال للدرجة الذهبية.

وتفاعل رواد مواقع التواصل الاجتماعي مع الحدث المميز عبر نشر العديد من الصور ومقاطع الفيديو معبرين عن سعادتهم بالمشروع الحيوي والمهم الذي يأتي في إطار الاستعدادات لكأس العالم وينطوي تحت رؤية قطر 2030.

ونشر المغرد فهد العمادي مقطع فيديو يظهر اللحظات الأولى لانطلاق قطار المترو وسط إقبال كبير من المواطنين والمقيمين وكتب: “مترو الدوحة .. على بركة الله”.