QATAR Railways Company has signed five contracts worth QR1.48 billion ($406.41 million) to signal the beginning of the first phase of the state’s integrated railways project within the first quarter of 2013.

The Qatar integrated railways project will incorporate a metro system and a long-distance passenger travel and freight transport network.

The first phase of the project to cover three milestones, constituting 129 km of track including Red, Green and Yellow lines, will focus on the highly populated coastal stretch of the country, linking Al Khor in the north to Al Wakrah and Messaieed in the south.

The first phase is expected to be completed by October 2019 with the second phase expected to be launched thereafter. The Red Line will carry the majority of the national traffic and connect the key stadiums to be used during the Fifa World Cup 2022 games.

About 19 different consultants are expected to work on the first phase of the project.

An enabling works contract agreement worth QR288 million ($79 million) was signed between Qatar Rail and a consortium Porr-SBG-HBK group. Qatar Rail’s executive committee chairman Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Subaie and HBK’s Sheikh Ali bin Hamad Al-Thani signed the agreement in the presence of Qatar Rail’s chief executive officer Saad Ahmed Al Mohannadi.

Three other contracts at a value of QR1.14 billion ($313 million) for consulting engineering services and project management were signed with another three different firms, including Jacobs Engineering Group, to manage the Red Line; Louis Berger/Egis Rail consortium to manage the Gold Line and main station; and Hill International Company to manage the Green Line.

Also, a contract worth QR55 million ($15.1 million), for independent security and safety, was signed between Qatar Rail and Lloyds Register.