DOHA: Qatar Railways Company (QRC) launched a series of workshops yesterday at Qatari Diar headquarters, to familiarise companies and service providers around the world with the country's railway development plans.
Over 500 local, regional and international public and private companies are attending the three-day event, being held at the Qatar Railways Simulation Center.
The interactive workshops outline requirements and specifications for companies interested in working on QRC projects and allowing industry representatives to exchange ideas on outlets for cooperation on the planned projects ahead.
Each workshop includes four sessions with presentations on the country's integrated national railway network, local and international cargo and passenger transport lines, and various other transport modes; the Lusail light rail transit system; and strategic procurement and contract management for the project.
Senior QRC representatives administered the workshops, headed by Eng Abdulla Abdulaziz Turki Al Subaie, Managing Director of the QRC Board of Directors; Geoff Mee, Acting Deputy CEO of QRC; Loulwa Al Thani, Senior Corporate Development Coordinator; Harj Dhaliwal, Project Director at QRC and CEO of the Qatar Railway Development Company, Daniel Leckel. "The Qatar Integrated Railway Project is a major national endeavour for the State of Qatar, and we at the Qatar Railways Company are eager to team up with leading international companies to bring this visionary project to life," said Eng Al Subaie.
"QRC is entering a crucial stage in the development of Qatar's rail industry and these workshops aim to make the cooperation procedures and responsibilities of QRC and our potential partners perfectly transparent to industry leaders and the international market."
QRC, a private and independent company, was founded to support and coordinate the growth of Qatar's rail industry. In addition to securing the resources, personnel and organisational requirements necessary to ensure the rail sector's sustainability, the QRC will also develop the appropriate legal and legislative frameworks to ensure that all local and international regulations are met.
QRC will oversee the management, operation and maintenance of all local railways and lead coordination efforts with regional and international rail networks.
In creating Qatar's much-anticipated state-of-the-art integrated railway network, the QRC will manage the development of the West Bay People Mover, Lusail City's Light-Rail Transit system, and the integrated Qatar Railways Project, which will incorporate a metro system, long-distance passenger travel, and freight transport.
The integrated national railway network will unify all planned railways in Qatar, including the Doha metro, Lusail and Education City light rail transit systems, and West Bay people movers, and will stretch from the Doha International Airport to Ras Laffan. It will also connect Qatar's network to neighboring countries, including the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the Bahrain-Qatar causeway, to create the region's first fully integrated railway system. By combining traditional elements with state-of-the art modern features, the Qatar Integrated Railway Project will create the region's most comfortable, reliable, and safe railway system.
© The Peninsula 2011
