Qatar Rail receives a set of four new tunnel boring machines for Doha Metro

The four TBMs Al Mayeda, Al Khor, Lehwaila and Al Wakra were manufactured by Germany’s Herrenknecht and will be used for the Red Line North and South Underground projects. Each TBM will travel a distance of between seven to nine km and will take approximately two years to complete their respective journeys. The TBM average speed will be between 12m per day to 21m per day, depending on ground conditions. Daily excavation quantity will be over 600m³, with an estimated predicted total excavation quantity of over 5,000,000m³.

Each of the TBMs for the Doha Metro measures 7.05m in diameter and 120m in length, therefore to ensure transportation is successfully managed from the Doha Port to the respective construction sites, the TBMs are dismantled into smaller sections which enable easier transportation.

It will take a few months to re-assemble all 4 TBMs into complete machines. TBMs are ideal for Doha, a city already struggling with traffic issues, and road closures. Needing only one point of entry, TBMs can tunnel below city streets, without disruption to the cities road grid. They are also ideal for longer lengths of uninterrupted tunnelling, as is required for the Doha Metro project.

The scope of work for Red Line North Underground, which the newest set of TBMs will work on, comprises the design and construction of approx. 13.4 km of twin-bored tunnel, including seven underground stations, between the proposed Msheireb Underground Station and Doha Golf Course via Doha West Bay. The tunnels will be built at an average depth of approximately 20 metres below ground.

Red Line South Underground extends from Msheireb in the North to Hamad International Airport in the South. The scope of work for Red Line South Underground includes seven underground stations and the design and construction of approximately 14 km of twin-bored tunnel to be built at an average depth of approximately 25 meters below ground.

Qatar Rail is awaiting the delivery of a further 16 TBMs – these are expected to arrive in  Qatar over the coming months, to be utilised between the Red Line North, Red Line South, Green Line and Gold Line Underground projects.