Qatar Railways Company (Qatar Rail) recently received the first Lusail Tram after it departed Alstom factory in the French city of La Rochelle to Barcelona in Spain, to arrive on schedule after 18 days at Doha.

Once offloaded at Hamad Port, the Citadis train will head towards its final destination at the main depot where it will be assembled and tested as the company gears up toward the operational phase of the project. The tram will undergo a number of technical tests to ensure the highest standards of safety are met.

Abdulla Abdulaziz Al Subaie, Qatar Rail’s managing director and chief executive officer, stated: “The arrival of the Tram marks the beginning of a new phase. Lusail Tram project is well under way; the work is ongoing right now toward the completion of the stations construction as we aim to deliver the project within the assigned timeline, underpinned by our commitment to deliver a modern and sustainable transport network for Lusail city.”

Hamad Al Bishri, Qatar Rail’s deputy chief executive officer, said: "We are pleased to witness this milestone which is paving the way for the next phase of Lusail Tram’s project. We also would like to recognise the efforts of all our partners whom contributed to the successful delivery of this milestone and the logistic support received to ensure the safe arrival of the tram to its final destination.”

The design of the Lusail Tram was inspired by “Al Mehmel”, which signifies “The Dhow” – the old traditional Qatari boat used for pearl fishing. The design concept focused on the sea representing dhow pearl fishing and bringing in the calm, cool, elegant and tranquil elements of that medium to the design. All these features will be depicted in the design of the trams. Lusail tram will soon become the main transportation hub for the visionary Lusail City, the largest single sustainable development to be undertaken in the State of Qatar.

Lusail Tram connects to Doha Metro through two interchange stations at Lusail and Legtaifiya. The 35.4-km-long Lusail Tram network will launch in 2020. It includes four lines and 28 stations aboveground and underground. Progress on the Lusail Tram project currently stands at 73 per cent. – TradeArabia News Service