A recent update from the Oxford Business Group (OBG) stated that work on Oman’s national rail network is picking up pace. The advanced planning work is now under way and construction set to begin next year.
According to the OBG update, the Oman National Railway Company recently announced it was opening pre-qualification tender to provide infrastructure and information technology systems for the initial stage of the 2244-km network. The tender, open to local and foreign bidders, covers construction of the first section, which runs from border with the UAE at Al Buraimi to the port of Sohar. The projected cost of this phase is around US$2.6 bn, with expense of the full project expected to amount to US$15bn.
According to Abdulrahman Al Hatmi, one of the directors of the Oman National Railway Company, the decision to carry the network to the industrial port cities of Duqm and Salalah will have a major positive impact on the economy. While acknowledging that extending the network to the two ports was an expensive proposition, Al Hatmi said opportunities that would be opened up would more than justify the cost, both in terms of economics and transport security.
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