Reuters reported that Bahrain expects a study for its BHD 3.06 billion rail plan to be completed by September 2010 as the kingdom seeks to ease congestion.

Mr Kadhim Abdullatif chief of traffic planning and studies at the ministry's roads and design directorate said that Bahrain envisages building the 184 kilometers network in three phases by 2030 when the population is expected to double to 2 million.

According to London based Meed magazine, Gulf states are spending more than USD 100 billion on railway projects to ease congestion as they face poor public transport networks and growing populations.

These projects have provided major contracts for international companies. German railway operator Deutsche Bahn signed a deal last year to help design a multi billion dollar rail network in Qatar that includes links to the Bahrain & Qatar Causeway.

Bahrain's planned rail system will include a mix of light rail trains, monorails, trams and other systems. It will be linked to the Bahrain & Qatar Causeway, which will carry a railway as well as a road.

Mr Abdullatif said that Bahrain's ministry of works is studying the options for financing the rail plan, including private sector participation.

(Sourced from Reuters)