Metro serves fans 21 hours a day with shorter train headway times: al-Sulaiti
Trains’ operational capacity increased & over 5,000 additional staff to serve the tournament
Abdulla Saif al-Sulaiti, Chief of Service Delivery at Qatar Rail, reaffirmed that the company’s employees across divisions and departments are working round the clock to ensure the preparedness of Doha Metro to serve fans of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.
Al-Sulaiti explained that according to Doha Metro’s operational plan for the tournament, the network will operate 21 hours a day from Saturday-Thursday, from 6am3am.
He said: “Due to the huge crowds expected during the tournament, Qatar Rail has increased its operational capacity by integrating additional trains into the network, with trains merged to increase the number of train cars from three to six. This doubles the 500-passengers-per-train capacity to reach more than a thousand people per trip.”
As part of the preparations for the tournament, all employees of the company are on high alert to ensure that the operational plan is implemented in the best possible manner. The number of technical as well as organisational staff has also been increased by more than 5,000 additional employees to serve the network during the World Cup.
According to al-Sulaiti, train headway times across the network’s three lines will be optimised and reduced during the tournament over the course of the 21 daily hours of service.
He pointed out that although the service hours will be 21 hours a day, work will continue round-the-clock throughout the day, especially since after the stations’ opening hours and the return of trains to their depot, periodic daily maintenance is carried out in order to ensure their safety and readiness for service the next day with the same efficiency required to transport a large number of passengers.
Al-Sulaiti pointed out that the ground service staff – who will be present at the stations to serve the fans flocking to the network, especially at stadium and fan zone-connected stations as well as major stations located in downtown Doha – will work diligently to ensure the network’s efficiency by managing and organising crowds in and around stations to maintain passengers’ flow and provide a safe and seamless travel experience for all.