110 Doha Metro trains to move fans during AFC Asian Cup
Qatar Rail will mobilize its entire fleet of 110 Doha Metro trains during the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023, which is set to kick off on Friday.
The modern, comfortable, and secure trains are expected to move hundreds of thousands of football fans to and from the stadiums every day.
The mobilization will include the deployment of six-carriage trains on the Red Line — doubling the capacity to 1120 passengers per train — and reducing the waiting time between trains to just three minutes across all lines during match days.
The operating hours of Doha Metro and Lusail Tram will start at 12pm on Friday, instead of the usual 2pm. On subsequent Friday match days (January 19 and February 2), services will operate from 10am instead of 2pm.
During the tournament period (January 12 to February 10), Doha Metro and Lusail Tram will operate as per the usual timetable.
However, Metrolink services in certain areas have been updated during the mega event. While the metroexpress service at Sport City will operate from Al Waab QLM’s shelter 2, the M311 service will start from Al Sudan Bus Station instead of Sport City Station.
The M202 and M203 metrolink services will operate from Qatar National Library Station, shelter 1, instead of the Education City station during the tournament.
While 600 environmentally friendly buses will serve the media and fans during the tournament, 81,000 parking spaces have been allotted around the nine stadiums.
“All the lessons learned from the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 were considered during the planning and preparation phase for the 2023 AFC Asian Cup. We’ve implemented improvements in terms of operational processes, crowd management, customer service, and more,” said Qatar Rail’s Chief of Service Delivery Eng. Abdulla Saif Al Sulaiti, during a Press conference.
“For us, the FIFA World Cup was a rich experience and a real test of the network’s capabilities and service efficiency during major events. The metro was exceptionally successful, serving as a key pillar of the transportation system for the tournament. We look forward to providing our services to the fans again,” he added.
“We’re thrilled to welcome fans, passengers, and visitors once again. Our goal is to offer an unparalleled travel experience, especially for football enthusiasts from Asia. Both Doha Metro and Lusail Tram will play a crucial role in delivering a world-class and reliable travel experience,” said Qatar Rail’s Chief of Strategy and Business Development Ajlan Eid Al Enazi.
Qatar Rail, in an effort to manage crowds seamlessly and more efficiently, has installed additional internal signage at Metro stations linked to the stadiums. There are also more trained staff to handle the expected high turnout in stations.
Qatar Rail has also developed a digital guide titled ‘Stadium by Metro’ for the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023, aiming to ease access to information related to stations and connectivity to stadiums.
Customers can also contact the 24x7 customer service centre at 105 for train timings, last-train departure times, and any other information or inquiries.
Fans can also utilize free Wi-Fi services at all stations and experience exceptional shopping with a variety of local and international retail brands, mini-marts, pharmacies, sports apparel stores, technology, and gift shops.
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