Qatar Rail has won the ITA Awards 2017 for its Doha Metro project, which was nominated under the category of “Major Project of the Year - More €500 Million”.

It won the award after being shortlisted alongside the Confederation LRT line in Canada, Delhi Metro Line 3 and Tehran Metro line 6. The ITA awards are considered the highest award in the world in the field of tunneling and underground projects.

The United Nations NGO “ITA” comprising membership of 74 nations awarded its most coveted award for projects over 500 Million Euros to Qatar after its panel of 17 international judges cast their votes. International experts from China, South Korea, France, Canada, Singapore Finland, Brazil Norway, Germany, Australia, Denmark, and Switzerland deliberated over four finalists - ultimately deciding on Qatar in a secret ballot. The Doha Metros Scale, tight delivery time frame, technical complexity amongst other factors were taken in consideration.

Abdulla Abdulaziz T Al Subaie, managing director & CEO said: “Qatar Rail will be a world-class railway company providing safe, reliable and attractive railway transportation services to the cities of Doha and Lusail. Our network will enable the sustainable development and economic growth objectives of Qatar’s National Vision 2030.”

“We are now in the most critical phase of our construction program; ongoing works include the installation of trackwork and railway systems, mechanical and electrical plant and equipment and architectural fit-out of stations. We are also preparing for operational readiness and commencement of revenue service.

“I am very pleased that our project has been recognized by the International Tunnelling and Underground Space Association (ITA). This is symbolic of the significant progress that we have accomplished despite major challenges”.

Instituted in 2015, the ITA Tunneling Awards recognize the most ground-breaking international innovation and outstanding projects in tunneling and underground space utilization. The two first editions of the ITA Tunneling Awards received more than 200 entries and 64 nominations, rewarded 21 projects and personalities and gathered more than 450 attendees.

Through nine categories and one Lifetime Achievement Award, the ITA Tunneling Awards is becoming an international standard for tunnelling projects. The awards ceremony was held in Paris end of last week at the completion of the French Underground Spaces (AFTES) conference which was attended by more than 5000 participants. The Awards ceremony was a grand finale of the two days conference and offered a vibrant Parisian evening at famous Salle Wagram, drawing a crowd of 400 attendees.

Doha Metro joins the ranks of the UNs most awarded mega projects of the word including the tunnels of the 32,690 km Tibet railway in China and the Eurasia Tunnel Project in Turkey (linking Asia and Europe under the Bosphorus in Turkey).

Qatar Rail had completed on September 2 2016, all tunnelling on the Doha Metro project with the final breakthrough taking place at Terminal One of Hamad International Airport (HIA). The first tunnel boring machines started tunnelling in July 2014 and the final 111th kilometre was crossed by TBM “Msheireb” on the southern part of the Red Line. In order to achieve 100 per cent of the tunnelling for the Doha Metro project 470,497 concrete segments were required to produce 70,071 tunnel rings to make the 111km of tunnels. The overall completion of Doha Metro now currently stands at 70 per cent. – TradeArabia News Service