Qatar Rail has unveiled Doha Metro and Lusail Tram designs, giving the public a glimpse of what the new systems will look like when they open in 2020.

For the Doha Metro, the company also reported an 89 per cent completion rate of tunnelling works (99 km out of 111 km of tunnels) during the first week of April. More than 112 million man-hours have been invested in the project with the support of over 32,000 workers, underpinned by rigorous safety and security processes.

Similarly, the Lusail Light Rail Transit is under way with 35 per cent of the construction works completed to date.

The exterior designs of the upcoming railway vehicles, ‘Al Faras’ for the Doha Metro and ‘Al Mehmel’ for the Lusail tram combine Qatari heritage and culture with modern technology. A symbol of intelligence and speed, ‘Al Faras’ – a name given to the Arabian mare – has inspired the design of the Doha Metro driverless trains and their dynamic shape. The Doha Metro will be one of the fastest driverless trains in the world and the fastest in the region travelling at 100 kmph. ‘Al Mehmel’, which symbolises the dhows – the traditional boats used for pearl fishing – served as the main inspiration for the Lusail Tram design.

Twinned with the train designs is a world-class combination of technologies and solutions that will deliver the ultimate commuter experience powered by two international partnerships. The first is a consortium led by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, which is responsible for a systems package for the Doha Metro.

The second partnership, a consortium led by Alstom and QDVC (a joint venture between Qatari Diar and Vinci Construction Grands Projets), will deliver a fully integrated Lusail tramway system, including 28 Citadis tramways, power supply equipment, signalling and track works.

The first phase of the Doha Metro project is expected to be complete in 2019/20, while completion of the Lusail Tram is set for 2020.