Qatar Education City People-Mover System

Project Description

A consortium comprising Leighton Contracting Qatar WLL, Siemens WLL Doha, and Siemens AG has been awarded a US$412 million contract to develop a People-Mover System (PMS) for Qatar Foundation’s Education City campus at the west of Doha.

The project, which is set to be the first PMS in Qatar, represents a precursor of the country’s US$35 billion investment in rail infrastructure over the next 10 years, as part of the 2022 FIFA World Cup Infrastructure Program.

The energy-saving PMS, which utilizes battery-powered trams, is designed to reduce the flow of traffic within Qatar Education City. It will allow students to travel free of charge to their destination within the city. A fleet of 19 trams will operate on an 11 km-long route, with a capacity of 3,300 passengers/hour in each direction. Trams will operate at four-minute intervals in both directions on the busiest sections of the network.

Siemens Tram Consortium has awarded building design services to WSP Middle East and Grimshaw Architects. As a third-party consultant, ECG will serve as Architect of Record and Engineer of Record for the following components of the project:

18 tram stops with single-sided and/or double-sided kiosks as waiting areas for students, employees, and visitors, along with a shaded open space (canopy) for each tram stop
Siemens underground technical rooms, 8 substations, and a 500 meter-long tunnel
17 buildings serving the PMS, with a total built-up area of 10,540 m². The buildings include administrative offices, main service stations, panel beaters’ workshops, control rooms, and main communication systems
Electrical service buildings, including MV switchgear for TSS 1–5 and TSS 6–8 feeding the railway and tram stops, with a view to complying with the standards of Qatar General Electricity & Water Corporation (KAHRAMAA)