The deadline for bid submissions for the Doha Metro’s Golden Line tunnelling works package has been extended to 27 November. The original deadline was set for 28 October.

Bids for the first two tunnelling packages, Red Line North and South, were submitted on 16 October.

In April, QRail issued tender documents for four line packages after it placed 18 prequalified consortiums into four groups to bid for the tunnelling packages. An additional group was created to bid for two planned stations.

Bids for the fourth package for the Green Line are also due in on 27 November.

Companies prequalified for the Golden Line are:

• 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 Higgs & Hill (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)

The submission date for the stations package is 13 November. The station package consists of the two major terminals planned for the Msheireb Downtown Doha development and Education City.

In August, Qatar Railways Company (QRail) appointed project managers and contractors for the city’s metro project. A team of US-based Louis Berger and France’s Egis Rail was selected to manage the construction of the Gold Line and the two major stations. US-based Jacobs Engineering will manage the Red Line and Hill International, also of the US, has been selected for the Green Line.

Construction work on the metro started earlier this year after QRail awarded the consortium of Austria’s Porr, the Saudi Binladin Group and the local HBK Contracting the enabling works package for the metro.

The metro project is part of a wider rail project being carried out by the Qatari government, which will includes an east coast rail link, a passenger and freight railway linking Ras Laffan and Mesaieed via Doha as well as a high-speed link between New Doha International Airport, Doha City Centre and Bahrain.