MEED reported that Oman's Supreme Committee for Town Planning has extended to June 14th 2010 the submission date for prequalification documents for consultancy work for the national Batinah railway project.

In April Muscat invited firms to pre qualify for the design and project management contracts by May 31st 2010. Companies have now submitted prequalification documents for the design contract only. The deadline for companies to submit prequalification documents has been extended to give companies more time to prepare.

The railway project will be constructed in 3 Phases. The Phase I will comprise 230 kilometres line that runs from Sohar to Muscat. The Phase II will involve building 560 kilometres line running from Muscat to Duqm. Oman may then decide to extend the line to Salalah which would involve building 580 kilometres track.

Later plans may also see the railway extend into Muscat city itself. If these plans go ahead it would involve building a metro system in the capital. France's Systra and the local National Engineering Office have carried out the feasibility study for the project. When Oman's national railway network is complete, it will form part of the wider GCC railway network.

(Sourced from MEED)