Qatar’s $35bn Integrated Rail Project (QIRP) needs to be completed by 12 June 2020.

Qatar is hosting the Fifa World Cup event in 2022. After June 2020, the testing and commission of the rail network will begin and Fifa will also examine the rail lines.

Qatar Railways Company (QRail) invited expressions of interest by 25 September for the construction contracts for the civil works. QRail hopes to invite bids by the end of this year with construction to begin in 2012.

Construction is expected to take eight years.

The rail projects part of the QIRP include a 360km Doha metro. This will involve building 119km of this underground. The metro comprises four lines including Red Coastal line, Golden Historic line, Green Education line and Blue City line.

There will also be a high-speed passenger rail, that will also be used for freight at off-peak periods. This will be able to achieve speeds of up to 350km a hour. QRail is currently looking at engineering feasibility of this line.

Other projects include a freight line down the east coast linking the ports and the West Bay people-mover that will be linked to the Red line. The people mover will be about 10-11km long with a fleet of 66 cars. It will handle up to 150,000 journeys each day.