Qatar Rail steams ahead

Qatar's economic sustainability relies on safe, efficient and quality public transport, says Qatar Rail deputy CEO Geoff Mee.

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Of all projects planned for Qatar’s build-up to the 2022 World Cup, it’s the country’s $37bn integrated rail project that is snatching all the headlines.

As a major infrastructure development and investment into the nation’s transport network, they don’t come much bigger. As a national exercise in co-ordinated project management, civil construction, materials and manpower supply and on-time project delivery, they don’t come laced with more pressure.

Qatar’s push for an integrated rail network is prompted by need, and is one of the largest projects to have been announced as the country refines National Vision 2030 goals.

The nation struggles traffic congestion at the moment, and with the population growing at a healthy 5% annually, and national GDP predicted to hit 17% in 2011, families have more discretionary spending.

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Local dealership Alfardan expects Mini sales to rise 85% in 2011, and sales across all of its brands to rise by 66% in 2011 alone.

Congestion aside, Qatar Rail’s deputy CEO Geoff Mee says mass transit systems are more about long term city sustainability.

Speaking during Construction Week’s Infrastructure Qatar conference in Doha recently, Mee told a packed room of delegates, “It is simply not possible to have a world-class, sustainable economy in a city without a mass transit system of some description.

Qatar’s economy to be self-sustaining, and we need to have an urban development plan that really concentrates high levels of population in urban locations that are served by mass transit systems.”

“We need the public transport network to be high quality. We don’t want it to be seen as something that the workers use. It needs to be something that all of the professionals use and that we want it to be the mode of choice.

It’s got to be high quality or we’re never ever going to attract people out of their Land Cruisers and on to public transport,” he added.