Lusail Tram in Doha expands

Doha, the capital of the Gulf state of Qatar, operates an interesting mixture of transit modes. There is a metro, opened in 2019, and no less than three tramway systems. 

 

The smallest is the 2km single track city centre loop Msheireb Tram, also opened in 2019, and served by hydrogen-electric cars supplied by TIG/m in the US. Then there is the 11.5km Education City Tram in the western suburbs, opened again in 2019 but expanded in 2023 operated with Siemens Avenio battery articulated cars (recharged at stops). 

 

The third system is the Lusail Tram serving the new city 23km north of central Doha and intended to reach a 33.5km network served by 28 Alstom Citadis XO5 five-section 32m trams using the APS surface current collection system. 

 

Operation here started on 1 January 2022, but just the 9.7km underground section with seven stations feeding the metro at Legtaifiya and running to Energy City South. 

 

The Lusail tramway was expanded on to surface sections from 8 Apri 2024, with the Pink line service running from Legtaifiya to Seef Lusail North (Al Sa’ad Plaza stop remains closed) and the Orange Line service also from Legtaifiya running around the loop from Naifa past Rawdat Lusail. Trams run daily but not before 14.00 on Fridays. The total number of stations is now 21. The trams have previously run on the surface to get to and from the depot, without passengers. A Purple Line is still to come. 

 

The Lusail Tram is operated and maintained under a 20-year franchise from Qatar Rail by RKH Qitarat, a joint venture of the Hamad Group (51%) and RATP Dev (49%). Qatar Rail awarded the EUR 2bn contract to build the system in June 2014, with completion originally planned for 2020.