Qatar Railways Company (Qatar Rail) has announced that more than 6.46 million passengers used the Doha Metro and Lusail Tram during the Asian Cup Qatar 2023, from January 12 to February 10, 2024, with 6.22 million passengers using the metro and 236,000 passengers using the tram.
The metro and tram played an instrumental role in facilitating the movement of fans and visitors to and from stadiums and other event activations. This was achieved through providing world-class transportation services and ensuring a safe and reliable travel experience throughout the tournament.
In terms of operational performance, 83,358 train-trips were completed on the metro and tram networks during the tournament, of which 72,010 were by metro and 11,348 by tram.
Throughout the tournament, 29 percent of spectators travelled to stadiums using the metro, while metro usage increased to 36 percent for stadiums within walking distance to metro stations.
During the tournament, the day of the Asian Cup Final recorded the highest daily network ridership of 303,500 with 295,900 travelling by metro and 7,600 on tram.
Furthermore, Lusail QNB Metro Station recorded a footfall of more than 115,000, with approximately 53 percent of the overall stadium trips using metro on the day. The overall footfall across all stations and associated facilities of the metro exceeded 734,000 across the day.
Eng. Abdulla Saif Al Sulaiti, Chief of Service Delivery at Qatar Rail, stated, “We are proud of the reliable operational performance recorded during the Qatar 2023 Asian Cup and our contribution to its success while serving Qatar’s visitors throughout the tournament via the Doha Metro and Lusail Tram networks. We extend our thanks to all our staff of both the metro and tram networks, appreciating their significant contribution to the successful execution of the operational plan for the Asian Cup.”
He added, “This success is attributed to the pre-planning and readiness for the tournament, taking in consideration the lessons learned from the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and previous major events into account in terms of operations, crowd management, customer service, and more. A comprehensive operation plan was developed and executed to meet the tournament’s requirements, including increasing the metro’s capacity by operating the full fleet of 110 trains, running the 6-car trains on the Red Line, and the train headway was set to be 3 minutes before and after match times on all lines to. Additionally, we cannot overlook the role of coordinated efforts at various levels among all relevant entities, especially the Ministry of Transport and the Local Organizing Committee, to provide a smooth and safe travel experience.”
Both the Doha Metro and Lusail Tram played an exceptional role in providing a safe and reliable travel experience, allowing the fans the opportunity to attend four matches in a single day during the group stage.
In addition to the direct connectivity of the Doha Metro network to five of the tournament’s nine stadiums, the network provided an effective alternative for traveling and facilitated the movement and access of fans to various event areas in the cities of Doha and Lusail.
This was especially evident with the Qatar Expo 2023, the Lusail Boulevard entertainment events, the “Hello Asia” festival, as well as the Amphitheatre in Katara, where Qatar Tourism events were held, and more.
Ajlan Eid Al Enazi, Chief of Strategy and Business Development at Qatar Rail, stated: “The Asian Cup tournament represented another key experience and added another milestone in network track record during major events. The metro achieved a new success as it became one of the key players of the tournament’s transportation system, given its role in complementing the experience of both local fans and visitors throughout the Asian Cup. During the AFC tournament, we dedicated all efforts to ensure the smooth movement of crowds at the stations, aiming for all fans and visitors to have a seamless and integrated travel experience on our networks. We have also continued to focus on customer service as a core aspect of our services by providing all necessary information and delivering trusted travel solution throughout the tournament.”
To meet the demand on the metro and tram services during the tournament, additional staff were deployed to manage crowd control at the frontline stations in coordination with RKH Qitarat. Additional signages were placed in the stations, and the “Stadium by Metro” guide was developed to facilitate directing and guiding the fans, providing them with all the necessary information for commuting to the stadiums and key destinations. Moreover, several measures were implemented to ensure rapid response and necessary technical support for conducting routine emergency maintenance, ensuring a smooth and safe travel experience for the fans throughout the tournament.
During the tournament, Qatar Rail committed to ensuring that operations comply with sustainability standards to ensure that the sustainable transportation solutions provided by the metro and tram networks contribute to reducing the negative environmental impacts of commuting throughout the Asian Cup. Additionally, customers benefited from dedicated customer service throughout the service hours, with a 24-hour customer service center available for inquiries regarding service hours, the last train timings, and all other travel information.
