Qatar Railways Company (Qrail) has issued tender documents for five major construction packages on its Doha Metro project.

Qrail has issued tenders for four separate tunnel and minor station packages and one construction package, which will involve building the two major stations planned for the Msheireb Downtown Doha development and Education City.

Around 30 companies prequalified to bid for the metro project, and that number has now been narrowed down further to about 16 firms. Each of those 16 firms has then been placed by Qrail into one of several groups, with the members of each group then allocated one of the four tunnelling packages to bid on. They will also be able to bid on the stations package separately, according to sources in Doha.

Qrail has also received bids from four consortiums for the initial enabling works package. The enabling works will include site facilities, civil structures and removing utilities. The enabling works will be carried out in preparation for the tunnelling and major stations packages.

The 300 kilometre-long Doha Metro will consist of four lines: Red Line, Gold Line, Green Line and Blue Line. The rail project will have 80 stations by the time it is completed. The metro will link the New Doha International Airport (NDIA) to the centre of Doha and will link together a number of the stadiums that will be used for the 2022 World Cup.

The Doha Metro is part of the $35bn Qatar Integrated Rail Programme (QIRP). The QIRP also includes plans for a 30km Lusail light-railway (LRT), a $2.7bn West Bay people-mover, a line which will connect the new Doha Convention Centre with the West Bay area, a high-speed passenger line and a 340km freight rail line.

In September 2011, US’ Parsons Brinckerhoff was appointed as the strategic programme manager for the QIRP.