"Some 15 TBMs for the metro project are now being manufactured," said Sara al-Muhannadi, business development manager.
She was giving a presentation at the Qatari French Business Club’s second monthly meeting.
"The delivery of the first train will be in the third quarter of 2017, followed by the power-on for the first test section in the fourth quarter of the same year," al-Muhannadi said.
Completion of all stations and tunnels will be in the fourth quarter of 2018 and the operations scheduled to start in the fourth quarter of 2019.
Qatar Rail senior programme director Markus Demmler said on the sidelines of the event that some 130 trains were to be brought initially.
"We have awarded four contracts; the fifth one is about to be awarded. We have three elevated sections to be awarded and the system contract (which is under evaluation) will be awarded soon," said Demmler.
He disclosed that there were about nine major construction contracts excluding other consultant contracts.
The project is expected to bring in some 25,000 workers who will undergo "a very rigid safety scheme" with strict supervision.
Part of the award criteria, Demmler stressed, was to select contractors with track records showing they were capable to do the project following the highest safety standards for workers.
Meanwhile, about eight underground stations are being constructed for the Lusail Light Rail Transit and four are 90 per cent finished while tunnelling (cut-and-cover) is already complete. For the remaining stations, architecture and systems will start soon while civil work will continue until 2015.
