One of the fastest trains ... Doha Metro is changing the lifestyle of the residents

Imad Murad - Doha

It was not conceivable that the Doha metro project would witness this operational intensity in a city that was never accustomed to a mass transit culture, so the follower of this huge project in its construction stages considered that the reason for its establishment is to host the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 to facilitate the transfer of fans to the stadiums That hosts the matches.

But with the start-up of the experimental operation of the three metro lines and wide segments of people accepting it, this new method seemed to contribute to changing the lifestyle of the community in its various movements, helped by the good planning of metro stations that serve all the vital areas in the country, and the presence of a large number of incentives On the success of this phenomenon.

“A fast and convenient way that relieves us from the trouble of crowding and driving the car during peak hours.” With these words, the Qatari citizen Hamad Borshid explains the reasons for his dependence on the Doha metro on his daily journey from Al Wakra, south of the capital to the Dafna area in the east, where his workplace is. While up to an hour by car.

Why the metro?
He added other reasons that contributed to his decision to rely on the metro, including the presence of several parking places in the nearest metro station to his home, as well as a service "Metrolink" that roams all areas surrounding the stations to transport passengers to and from the stations in complete comfort, in addition to being a means Convenient, fast and aiding physical activity.

In addition to the service "Metrolink" there is a free "parking and transport" initiative to park cars in locations near some stations with great capacity, in order to encourage the community to use the metro by providing easy means to reach the nearest station to the home.

The matter did not differ much from the Sudanese resident, Hassan Akram, who was found in the Doha metro to move within the capital without the need to drive cars. Akram, who works as a coach in a sports club in Doha, sees that the metro is a new page in the country that has made a large segment of society contemplating going out and walking until The nearest metro station and reach its destination quickly and with high comfort.

What prompted Akram to rely on the metro is the large number of areas served by it, whether sports stadiums or major commercial centers, as well as the Doha heritage areas in Musheireb and Souq Waqif all the way to the various educational and health institutions in Doha and a number of areas that witness a population density such as Al Sadd, Bin Mahmoud, Musheireb and others.

suitable price
Determining the price of economic metro tickets for two riyals only (about half a dollar) also contributed to pushing a large segment of society to rely on, in addition to the wonderful design of stations and vehicles and the tight system in determining the time of the train independence and the time to reach the desired destination, all these things began to change from the culture Society and its transportation style have made the metro the first choice in the country.

According to figures announced by the Qatar Rail Company, more than one million passengers boarded the Doha metro during last July and August, and on the national day on December 18 last, the metro used 333,000 passengers, and more than 185,000 used the Doha metro on February 11 / Last February, the country's sports day.

The Doha metro is one of the fastest trains without a driver, as it reaches a speed of one hundred kilometers per hour, and the trial operation of its three lines began during the past year (red, gold, and green) and includes 37 stations, and the current year will witness the official start of these lines as well as future stages represented in Adding a new line and expanding the existing lines to sixty stations in 2026.