Throngs of residents made the most of their holiday commute around the city on Tuesday via the state-of-the-art Doha Metro.
Qatar's most modern public transport option resumed operations on the first day of Eid al-Fitr, after a five-day break for network expansion testing.
Almost a month after its doors were opened to the public, the Doha Metro’s Red Line, the first of three lines that became operational nearly a year ahead of its scheduled completion, continues to attract many commuters.
Earlier, the May 8 soft opening of the Red Line was well received by the public. Holidaymakers can now take advantage of the Eid al-Fitr timings of the Red Line, which will run between 6am and 11pm until June 8, except on June 7 when the service will operate from 11am until 11pm, Qatar Rail said.
One resident said the Doha Metro does not only cut travel time for commuters, but also serves as “a convenient and practical way” to get to work and to other places around Doha and the southern parts of the city.
Currently, the Doha Metro’s Red Line runs across 13 of 18 stations from the Al Qassar Station in the north, down to the Al Wakrah Station in the south.
In between are the following stations: DECC, QIC West Bay, Corniche, Al Bidda, Msheireb, Al Doha Al Jadeda, Umm Ghuwailina, Al Matar Al Qadeem, Oqba Ibn Nafie, Free Zone, and Ras Bu Fontas.
The other stations north of Doha that are yet to operate are Katara, Legtaifiya, Qatar University, and Lusail.
Aside from travel and commute, the Doha Metro was to some residents “an attraction and something to be experienced,” according to another resident, who took his family yesterday on their first train ride in Qatar.
“While we have experienced this type of transportation in other parts of the world, the Doha Metro is the first-of-its-kind in Qatar, which I believe is an attraction and something to be experienced,” he noted.
“The stations, especially the service of the Doha Metro are at par with railways of other developed countries, and the staff are very polite and helpful. I wouldn’t be surprised to see large crowds in the stations; this type of infrastructure is worth showcasing to the world,” he said, adding that the metro “is more than capable” of accommodating spectators and tourists during the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
