A joint venture of US-based Parsons International and France’s Systra, has been awarded a consultancy services contract for the design of the Qatar Long Distance Railway Network.

The network will provide freight and passenger services nationally within Qatar and internationally to the neighbouring countries of Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.

The 400-kilometre section, which includes six freight facilities, a depot, and seven passenger stations, will be integrated with the new Doha Metro and will also form part of the GCC rail network.

In late February, Qatar Railways Company (Qatar Rail) issued conditional letters of award to the two contracting groups competing for the estimated QR12bn-plus ($3.3bn-plus) deal to build Doha Metro’s Gold Line.

The letters will give contractors a final chance to submit their best commercial offers ahead of an expected award in early March. The two groups competing for the contract are:

• Aktor (Greece)/Yapi Merkezi (Turkey)/STFA (Turkey)/Larsen & Toubro (India)/AlJaber Engineering (local)
• Hochtief (Germany)/Al-Jaber Trading (local)/Consolidated Contractors Company (CCC) (Athens-based)/Marbu Contracting Company (local)/Lusail Hochtief (local/Germany)

last year, Doha Metro was one of the region’s most active projects for contract awards. In late May and early June, Qatar Rail awarded construction deals for underground sections and two stations.

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

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

The estimated QR8bn deal for the Red Line North underground sections was secured by a consortium of Italy’s Impregilo, South Korea’s SK Engineering & Construction and the local Galfar al-Misnad Engineering & Contracting.

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