For the opening stage of an ambitious metro system development project planned to unify all of the railway networks in Qatar by 2030, Madrid-based FCC Construcción built the south portion of one of three lines in the 85-kilometer-long first phase of the program, and three of the first phase’s stations.

The system will link the Doha Metro, the Lusail Tram and the Long Distance network into one integrated system and let passengers easily transfer between lines and connect to rail lines in neighboring countries as well, creating the region’s first fully integrated rail system. The infrastructure development program is in response to a rapid increase in Qatar’s wealth and population.

The work undertaken by FCC has been to build the Red Line South, which includes construction of 6.7 km of concrete viaduct, three multilevel elevated stations, another kilometer of line built on ramps or at grade and two emergency exits on the viaduct, plus grading for future construction of a mobile material maintenance park.

The overall design approach of the rail project features 134 arches ranging from 28 meters to 48 m in length that were built with a prefabricated voussoir system and installed with a launching gantry system. The design also includes 58 spans, each 28 m long, that were constructed with post-tensioned, precast beams.

The three stations have their own configurations, but all share a similar concept and an architectural style that reflects the regional culture—with the line’s arches, spans and vaults of varying dimensions intended to suggest a bridge between the historical architecture of Qatar and a future of innovation and prosperity.

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