Trade Arabia reported that USD 10.6 billion GCC rail network linking Kuwait with Muscat through Bahrain could be up and running by 2017.

Tracks of more than 2,000 kilometers will run from Kuwait City through Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar and the UAE before terminating in Oman, delegates heard at the Middle East Rail Projects 2009 conference in Abu Dhabi.

Mr David Lupton GM of GCC Railway Feasibility Study said that “Each country would also build extensions and spurs to serve industrial and transit centers. A final decision was expected in 2011 followed by 2 years of design and 4 years of construction.”

He said that “The GCC Secretariat is working on development of the next phase involving establishing a railway authority and undertaking detailed design.”

The committee has suggested 5 passenger trains a day between Kuwait City and Dubai and 8 additional trains from Bahrain and Qatar to Muscat.

(Sourced from Trade Arabia)