Qatar Railways Company (QRail) has awarded design and construction contracts totalling QR20bn ($5.4bn) for construction work on the Doha Metro scheme.

The estimated QR8bn Red Line South underground sections construction package has been awarded to the consortium of the local/French QDVC, South Korea’s GS Engineering & Construction Corporation, and the local Darwish Engineering.

The Red Line South underground section runs for 12 kilometres from the centre of Doha extends south to the airport.

The team of Austria’s Porr, Saudi Binladin Group and the local HBK Contracting Company has won the estimated QR8bn contract to build the underground sections for the Green Line.

The Green Line underground section is 15km-long and connects central Doha with Karwa City to the South and Al-Rayyan, Education City and Umm Saif Stadium to the north.

South Korea’s Samsung C&T, Spain’s OHL and the local Qatar Building Company has won the estimated QR4bn contract to build the two major stations at Msheireb and Education City.

Qatar Rail also recently awarded an estimated QR8bn contract to a consortium of Italy’s Impregilo, South Korea’s SK Engineering & Construction and the local Galfar al-Misnad Engineering & Contracting for the construction of the Red Line North underground sections.

The Doha Red Line North will stretch about 13km northwards from Msheireb station in the Qatari capital. The scope of work will include the excavation of two parallel tunnels running 11.6km in length. The line will have seven new underground stations.

An award for the Gold line underground sections is expected to be made in June. It is understood this is the largest of the metro’s construction packages and could be worth up to QR16bn.

The Gold line prequalifiers

• Impregilo (Italy)/SK (South Korea)/ Galfar Engineering & Contracting (Oman)
• Hochtief (Germany)/Al-Jaber Trading (UAE)/Consolidated Contractors Company (CCC)/Marbu Contracting Company (local)/Lusail Hochtief (local/Germany)
• Bam (Netherlands)/Six Construct (Belgium)/Midmac Contracting Company (local)
• Acciona (Spain)/Hyundai Engineering & Construction (South Korea)/Ghella (Italy)/Como (local)
• Yapi Merkezi (Turkey)/STFA (Turkey)/Aktor (Greece)
• Ssangyong Engineering & Construction (South Korea)/Dogus Construction (Turkey)/Makyol (Turkey) /Redco International (local)
• Astaldi (Italy)/Yuksel (Turkey)/Gulermak (Turkey)
• Andrade (Brazil)/Queiroz (Brazil)/Ramco Trading & Contracting (local)

Qatar Rail is also tendering the Doha Metro first phase’s systems, rolling stock, and track work. Companies have been invited to bid by 14 November for two contracts, one covering the supply, installation and commissioning, and the other for the maintenance.

The contracts prequalifiers

• Siemens (Germany)
• Alstom (France)
• Ansaldo STS (Italy)/CAF (Spain)
• Bombardier (Canada)/Indra (Spain)/Inabensa (Spain)/Ineco (Spain)
• Mitsubishi (Japan)/Hitachi (Japan)/Kinkyshario (Japan)/Thales (France)

Construction work on the metro started last year after QRail awarded the consortium of Porr/SBG/HBK Contracting the enabling works package for the metro. The three-year contract has an estimated QR200m of work that has already been defined. The total value of the contract could increase to QR500m as more work is added.

The enabling works will include site facilities, civil structures and removing utilities, and will be carried out in preparation for the tunnelling and major stations packages. QRail received bids from four consortiums for the work earlier this year.

Once complete, the metro network will have 100 stations and cover a distance of approximately 216km. The metro will link the Hamad International airport (formerly New Doha International Airport) to the centre of Doha and will link several stadiums to be used for the 2022 Fifa World Cup.