How To - Use The Doha Metro

Doha’s transport systems have, in recent years, been given a major overhaul, new and improved roads and five-lane highways, fleets of eco-friendly buses, taxis and trams, rafts of rentable electric scooters and push bikes, along with miles and miles of new cycle lanes. However, the piece de resistance is the Doha Metro. 

If you live or visit Doha and the surrounding areas, the Metro is one of the most convenient, efficient, fastest and safest ways to get around - plus, it's pretty cheap too. So, if you’re new to Qatar, just visiting or haven’t used the Metro before, the following article will give a quick ‘how to’ guide to this super modern method of conveyance.

The Metro

Inaugurated in 2019, the Doha Metro was built as part of Qatar's National Vision for the country's future. It was designed to enhance the lives of the country’s residents, help fuel the country's growing economy, and provide a sustainable, green and inexpensive transport option. And, with only a few kilometres (on average) between stations, travelling on state-of-the-art high-speed trains, the journey from station to station only takes minutes - perfect for residents and visitors to get to and from their destinations, including the city’s many sights and attractions, quickly, efficiently and, most importantly, cheaply.

So, if you are using the Metro, what can you expect?

Train Lines

Image: qr.com.qa/

Doha Metro consists of three lines - Red, Gold and Green. The train lines stretch north, east, west and south of Doha over 76 km and accommodate 37 stations.

The Red Line runs from Al Wakra, in the south, to Lusail in the north, with a branch off to the east taking travellers to Hamad International Airport’s Terminal 1. The Red Line stretches 40 km in total and stops at 18 stations, including:

• Al Wakra Metro Station
• Ras Bu Fontas Metro Station
• Free Zone Metro Station
• Hamad International Airport Terminal 1 Metro Station
• Oqba Ibn Nafie Metro Station
• Al Matar Al Qadeem Metro Station
• Umm Ghuwailina Metro Station
• Al Doha Al Jadeda Metro Station
• Msheireb Metro Station
• Al Bidda Metro Station
• Corniche Metro Station
• West Bay Metro Station
• DECC Metro Station
• Al Qassar Metro Station
• Katara Metro Station
• Legtaifiya Metro Station
• Qatar University Metro Station
• Lusail Metro Station
  

The Gold Line  transports customers from Ras Abu Aboud, southeast of the city, to Al Aziziyah, southwest. Trains stop at 11 stations along the Gold Line's 14 km, including:

• Ras Bu Abboud Metro Station
• National Museum Metro Station
• Souq Waqif Metro Station
• Msheireb Metro Station
• Bin Mahmoud Metro Station
• Al Sadd Metro Station
• Joaan Metro Station
• Al Sudan Metro Station
• Al Waab Metro Station
• Sports City Metro Station
• Al Aziziya Metro Station
  

The Green Line ferries passengers from centrally located Al Mansoura to Al Riffa, west of the city, along its 22 km length, stopping at 11 stations, including:

• Al Mansoura Metro Station
• Msheireb Metro Station
• Al Bidda Metro Station
• The White Palace Metro Station
• Hamad Hospital Metro Station
• Al Messila Metro Station
• Al Rayyan Al Qadeem Metro Station
• Al Shaqab Metro Station
• Qatar National Library Metro Station
• Education City Metro Station
• Al Riffa Metro Station

Trains

Over one hundred state-of-the-art driverless trains, designed especially for Qatar and which can travel up to 100 kph (the fastest driverless trains in the world), operate across the Metro network. 

Trains comprise three types of carriages - Gold Club, Family and Standard. All carriages are accessible and provide dedicated space for wheelchair users. Gold carriages may only be used by Gold Club ticket holders, and family carriages, though travelling on standard tickets, may only be used by families and lone females - lone males are prohibited.

Each train is fast and efficient, clean, modern, accessible and spacious, and they also come with handy information displays and real-time service updates in Arabic and English.

Metro Stations

Each of Doha Metro’s 37 stations is equipped with an information kiosk, ticketing office and easy-to-use ticket vending machines, prayer rooms and restrooms, first aid room, lifts, security cameras and plenty of trained customer service staff.

Msheireb and Al Bidda stations provide interchange between lines. Msheireb Station, the central station, allows passengers to change between all three lines, and Al Bidda provides an interchange between the Green and Red lines only.

Costs?

To travel on the Doha Metro, you will need to purchase a travel card and top it up with credit…

Purchasing Travel Cards

Image: QatarLiving.com

Travel cards are available for Gold Club, Family and Standard carriages. Children over five years of age and adults require tickets for travel; under 5's travel free.

Gold Club

Gold Club Travel Cards can be purchased at Gold Club Offices or Vending Machines in each Metro station for QAR 100. The card must be ‘topped-up’ with credit before travel. 

Single trips in Gold Club carriages cost QAR 10, and Day Passes (with unlimited travel) cost QAR 30.

Standard

Standard Travel Cards are for use in both Standard and Family carriages. The travel card can be purchased for QAR 10 at Vending Machines in each Metro station or licensed retailers (Al Meera, LuLu, Carrefour, Jumbo Electronics, Family Food Centre and Talabat Mart). The card must be ‘topped-up’ with credit before travel. 

Single trips cost QAR 2, and Day Passes  (with unlimited travel) cost QAR 6 (max. daily).

Gold Club and Standard Travel Cards can be topped up at station vending machines (and the Gold Club offices for Gold Club travellers) or via the Qatar Rail website or the Qatar Rail mobile application (see below).

Qatar Rail Mobile Application

The Qatar Rail mobile application is available for registered Metro customers. 

The QR Mobile App can be downloaded via the App Store or Google Play.

The application allows users to plan their journeys, check services, top-up travel card credit, and check Metrolink shuttle bus timings to and from the stations.

Operating Hours

The Doha Metro schedule is as follows: 

• Sunday to Wednesday, 5:30 am to 11:59 pm;
• Thursday, 5:30 am to 1 am;
• Friday, 2 pm to 1 am;
• Saturday: 6 am to 11:59 pm.

Each station has specific timings for the first and last train - check the QR mobile app before you travel to ensure you always make your destination!

Getting There and Away

Image: qatarliving.com

Complimentary buses and a free car-sharing service are available to take Metro travellers to and from Metro stations. The service offers transport from 2 to 5 km away. 

Metrolink

Free Metrolink shuttle buses operate out of each Metro Station. The buses transport Metro customers to and from the station along set routes. Buses run every 12 minutes. 

The bus schedule for each station, including routes and bus stop locations, is provided at the station entrance or can be viewed online via the Qatar Rail website or the associated QR Mobile app (via the App Store or Google Play).

Operating hours for the Metrolink are as follows:

• Saturday to Wednesday, 6 am - 11 pm;
• Thursday, 6 am - 11:59 pm;
• Friday, 2 pm - 11:59 pm.

Metro Express

The Metro Express is a free car-share service, currently operating out of ten Metro stations and seven tram stations in Lusail (*for more information on the Lusail Tram service, see below). The service offers Metro customers first and last transport to and from the serviced stations in seven-seater vans. The service is booked through the Karwa Taxi application (downloaded via the App Store or Google Play).

Registered customers using the Metro Express can book cars to and from the following stations:

Red Line

• West Bay Metro Station
• DECC Metro Station 
• Al Qassar Metro Station 
• Katara Metro Station 
• Legtaifiya Metro Station
• Qatar University Metro Station

Green Line

• Al Shaqab Metro Station
• Al Rayyan Al Qadeem Metro Station

Gold Line

• Sports City Metro Station
• Al Waab Metro Station 

Lusail Tram

• Marina Tram Station
• Marina Promenade Tram Station
• Yacht Club Tram Station
• Esplanade Tram Station
• Lusail Central Tram Station
• Energy City South Tram Station
• Legtaifiya Tram Station
  

Operating hours for the Metrolink are as follows:

• Saturday to Wednesday, 5:45 am - 11 pm;
• Thursday, 5:45 am - 11:59 pm;
• Friday, 2 pm - 11:59 pm.

*Lusail Tram Network

The Lusail Tram Network is a system of trams that operates across Qatar's newest, self-contained city, Lusail. The network currently consists of a single line (the Orange Line), but when completed, there will be three additional lines (Pink, Purple and Turquoise) servicing twenty-five stations.  

Once completed, the tram network will be accessible from the Doha Metro via Lusail and Legtaifiya Metro Stations on the Red Line. Currently, passengers can access and exit via Legtaifiya only.

The Orange Line presently operates back and forth between the following tram stations:

• Marina Tram Station
• Marina Promenade Tram Station
• Yacht Club Tram Station
• Esplanade Tram Station
• Lusail Central Tram Station
• Energy City South Tram Station
• Legtaifiya Tram Station

To use the Lusail trams, you need a Doha Metro travel card. The travel card allows you to travel across both transport networks with one card and one fare in the case of a Day Pass. Single journeys are QAR 2, and Day Passes, with unlimited travel across the tram and Metro network, are QAR 10.  

There are no Gold Club carriages on the tram network. Gold Club travel pass holders will only be charged QAR 2 per single trip and QAR 10 for a day's travel. 

Operating hours for the Lusail Tram are as follows:

• Saturday to Wednesday, 5:30 am - 11:59 pm;
• Thursday, 5:30 am - 1 am;
• Friday, 2 pm - 1 am;
• Saturday, 6 am - 11:59 pm.

For travel information, travel card top-up, journey planning and Metrolink details, go to the Qatar Rail website or the QR Mobile app (via the App Store or Google Play).

Main image: PhotoPlay/Shutterstock.com