From November 20 to December 18, 2022, 18.2 million people travelled using the Doha Metro and Lusail Tram networks as part of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.
Public transportation options are growing in the country, with water taxis and massive metro expansions in the works.
Qatar will soon boast eight stations connecting Al-Wakra and Al-Khor that will also travel past Hamad International Airport, Doha Port, West Bay, The Pearl, and Lusail, reported Al-Watan.
Late last year, the Minister of Transport Jassim Ahmed Al Sulaiti said authorities would be testing water taxis in 2022 to meet Qatar National Vision 2030.
The minister stated that the water taxi system aims to provide an alternative mode of transportation to the buses and the Doha Metro.
The water taxi project in Qatar seeks to revitalise the tourism industry, particularly beach tourism, allowing the transport of people from the beaches of northern cities to the south and vice versa.
Metro extension
The Doha Metro will be extended to include areas like Mesaieed and Industrial Area. It currently has a 76km network with three lines and 37 stations.
The metro rail project, which is expected to cost $36 billion, is being built in two phases and will be among the world’s most advanced railway networks.
The metro is anticipated to have a network of 300km when fully operational, with four lines: Red, Green, Gold, and Blue.
By 2050, the Doha Metro is expected to add a new Blue Line, extend the Red Line to Mesaieed City, and extend the Green Line to the Muaither neighbourhood in addition to Industrial City.
The Red, Green, and Gold lines, as well as 37 stations across the country, were built during the project’s first phase.
By 2026, the city metro network is anticipated to grow by about 60 new stations.
Al Riffa to Al Mansoura are both served by the 22 km long Green Line, also known as the Education Line. Msheireb, Hamad Hospital, Qatar National Library, and Education City are just a few of the 11 stations on the line.
Ras Bu Aboud and Al Aziziya are connected by the Historic Line, or Gold Line. The 14km route includes 11 stations.
The 17.5 km-long semicircular Blue Line, also known as the City Line, will connect four stations and run along the main C-Ring Road between the West Bay and Airport City North neighbourhoods.
Public transport during the World Cup
From November 20 to December 18, 2022, 18.2 million people travelled using the Doha Metro to get around during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.
According to a report by Qatar Rail, the Doha Metro and Lusail Tram respectively carried 17.4 million and 0.8 million passengers.
This translates to 600,000 metro riders per day and 27,000 tram riders per day.
More than 79,000 trips were made by Doha Metro trains, covering a distance of nearly 1.5 million kilometres. During the tournament, people travelled more than 200 million kilometres overall.
