Doha, January 18 (QNA) - Doha Metro recorded 100 million in ridership since the launch of its service in 2019.
In terms of operational performance, Qatar Railways Company (Qatar Rail) said that the metro witnessed several records, the first of which was on the first year of operation when it recorded the largest number of passengers in one day during the National Day of 2019 with transporting 333,000 passengers.
Qatar Rail indicated that this number was recently surpassed during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 on the fifth day of the tournament, November 24, 2022, the metro set a record in the daily number of passengers, transporting more than 827,000 passengers in one day.
In terms of stations, Msheireb station, the heart of Doha metro and its central station connecting the three metro lines, recorded the highest number of passengers through it on one day during the World Cup with approximately 405,000 passengers, on Dec. 2, 2022. Also, on the National Day - Dec. 18, 2022, which coincided with the World Cup final match held at Lusail Stadium, Lusail QNB station recorded more than 290,000 passengers.
Doha Metro has changed the public transport landscape in Qatar by providing a high quality, fast, reliable, and affordable alternative to the predominant mode of transport i.e., private car. The ridership has steadily grown since opening of Metro network and it also reflects the growing confidence of citizens, residents, and visitors in Doha Metro services underpinned by network connectivity to key destinations, tourist attractions and Hamad International Airport.
Qatar Rail also recognized the importance of first and last mile in the Metro journey. On this front, Qatar Rail is actively engaged and supported by the Ministry of Transport and Mowasalat company to introduce first and last mile connectivity initiatives such as metrolink and metroexpress to encourage the use of metro.
Doha metro is seamlessly connected to the Lusail Tram network through Legtaifiya station, this in turn played a key role in providing a smooth travel experience and allowed customers to change between the two networks and access Lusail city easily. During the Qatar World Cup 2022, the connection of the two networks facilitated the fan and visitors to access to various activation areas in Lusail City.
Since the launch of services, the Doha Metro played an instrumental role in the success of 13 key local, regional, and international sports events and tournaments, including four finals for HH the Amir's Cup and nine regional and international events. Unprecedented operational plans were developed to serve the fans of these tournaments, while ensuring the safety of all network users.
In 2019, key sport events included the final of HH the Amir's Cup, the 24th Arabian Gulf Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup 2019, in addition to the National Day celebrations that took place across the city. During these events, the metro transported more than 1.2 million passengers.
In 2021, five sporting tournaments took place and during which the metro recorded approximately 2.5 million passengers. These events included the FIFA Club World Cup 2020, the final of the African Super Cup, the preliminary round of the joint Asian qualifiers, the qualifiers for the Arab Cup, and the FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2021.
During the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, Doha Metro gained the confidence of 17.4 million passengers who travelled onboard the network to reach the stadia. The metro also contributed to the tourists and visitors experience in the country during that time.
Further to that, the metro played a pivotal role in successfully hosting the tournament, as 51% of the fans using the metro to go to the stadiums. The daily average number of passengers recorded during the tournament was about 5 times the usual average, with a 300% increase.
In addition, the various events and sports tournaments held in Qatar over the last three years enabled developing the operational expertise, and further enhancing customer experience and significantly contributed to the integrated public transport system in the county. Also, these events have supported building national capacities and equip them with the necessary expertise and know-how in several areas such as, crowd management, transport planning, security, safety, operational plans, in addition to crisis and emergency management.
The continuous work efforts and joint coordination between Qatar Rail and other key stakeholders have resulted in providing a successful model for mobility and transport in mega events.
On May 8, 2019, Qatar Rail launched the first phase of the preview service of the metro including 13 stations on the Red Line starting from Al Qassar to Al Wakra, then followed by the remaining stations on the Red Line, Gold Line and Green Line. Operation of all Doha Metro stations was fully completed in September 2020. (QNA)