Alstom, a world leader in integrated railway systems, and Qatar Rail have unveiled the design of the Citadis tram for its four-line network project at Lusail, the newest planned city in Qatar coming up on a 35-sq-km area north of the city centre of Doha.

The design of the Lusail tram, with its front shaped like the bow of a vessel, is inspired by the dhows, the traditional boats of the area, said a statement from Alstom.

The tram’s blue tones also reflect the sea, inviting passengers to climb aboard and take a cool break from the heat of Qatar. The interior design echoes the architecture of the area, incorporating touches of yellow that recall the Lusail flower, it stated.

Alstom was awarded an integrated tramway system contract for the engineering, procurement, construction, testing and commissioning of four tram lines, totalling 38 km (of which 10 km are underground) with 30 stations as part of a consortium by Qatar Rail in June 2014.

The consortium, which comprises Alstom and a Qatari shareholding company QDVC (a joint venture between Qatari Diar and Vinci Construction Grands Projets) are in charge of civil works.

The contract also included the supply of Citadis trams, power supply, signalling and track works, said a statement from the French group.

Commenting on the unveiling, Abdulla Al Subaie, Qatar Rail’s managing director said: "Across our projects, our build and design stages have been guided by the powerful coming together of tradition with modernity."

"Deeply entrenched in Qatari culture and heritage, the Lusail tram designs celebrate the convergence of our country’s history with ground-breaking technologies and cutting-edge solutions. We are creating a seamless consumer journey and experience built around the local community’s needs and values," he noted.

Gian Luca Erbacci, the senior vir-president for Alstom (Middle East and Africa) said: "There are currently more than 1,800 Alstom light rail vehicles in operation throughout the world. Each Citadis has its own specific design and is customised to reflect its city’s image and culture."

"We are very happy to have partnered with Qatar Railways to come up with a unique design that will certainly please the passengers and residents of Lusail," stated Erbacci.

The Citadis tram for Lusail is 33 m long in single unit and can accommodate 207 passengers in “common” and “family” classes. It can be coupled to double its capacity. The tram features the latest technologies such as permanent magnet motors which reduces energy consumption.

With 17 integrated tramway solutions projects awarded, Alstom is the world leader in this field. It is currently managing the construction of seven integrated tramway systems including Cuenca (Ecuador), Rio (Brazil), Sydney (Australia) and further projects in Algeria.

According to Alstom, the Citadis trams for Lusail will be manufactured in La Rochelle (France) for the first five trams and the remaining ones in Barcelona (Spain).

The following Alstom’s sites in France will also be involved in the project: Le Creusot for bogies, Ornans for the engines, Tarbes for drive, traction chains and equipment, Villeurbanne for onboard electronic systems and passenger information, Valenciennes for interior design and Saint-Ouen for the tram design, it added.-TradeArabia News Service