Photo: Alstom/Yves Ronzier

QATAR: Alstom has shipped the first tram for Lusail from its La Rochelle factory in France. It will travel by ship from the port of Barcelona in Spain to Doha, and is expected to arrive next month.

In 2014 Qatar Rail awarded a contract to a consortium led by Alstom and the QDVC joint venture of Qatari Diar (51%) and Vinci Construction Grands Projets (49%) to build the four-line network. As part of this contract, Alstom is supplying 28 five-section trams that will use the APS ground-level power supply system.

The 100% low-floor trams are 33 m long with capacity for 207 passengers in two classes: standard and family.

The first phase of the network is scheduled to open in January 2019, and will be operated by the RKH Qitarat joint venture between a consortium of RATP Dev and Keolis (49%) and local construction, property and trading business Hamad Group (51%).