QATAR: Services have started running on the Yellow Line of the Education City light rail network, providing connections between Education City Stadium and the Doha Metro Green Line at Al Shaqab.
The catenary-free tram network is being delivered by the Capital Projects Directorate of the Qatari Foundation, which is developing the campus housing two universities, museums and the national library. When completed, the three-line network will serve a total of 24 stops.
The first short section was inaugurated in December 2019, when services began running on the Blue Line, also known as the Academic Loop. According to QF, Blue Line services are currently suspended for ‘security reasons’, but are expected to resume running after the Arab Cup football competition being organised by FIFA. This is scheduled to take place in Qatar between November 30 and December 18 as a prelude to the 2022 World Cup.
QF announced on November 4 that the Yellow Line was ready to open, along with a new park-and-ride facility at Oxygen Park. The minibus shuttle serving the route was withdrawn with effect from November 11. Yellow Line services are now operating from 06.00 to 22.00 each day, except Fridays and Saturdays when they finish at 16.00.
No date has yet been announced for the start of operations on the Green Line, which will serve the North Campus. This will run from an interchange with the Blue and Yellow lines at Stadium North to the national convention centre and Sidra, with a branch serving the Community Housing zone.
The Education City tram network is operated by a fleet of 19 Avenio low-floor LRVs from Siemens Mobility, which have batteries for onboard energy storage and small pantographs for recharging from an overhead conductor rail at the stops. Each air-conditioned tram has 64 seats, including dedicated spaces for passengers with disabilities.
