Over 30 consultants registered to give engineering design - By Conrad Prabhu - MUSCAT — Authorities overseeing the development of the Sultanate’s ambitious National Railway Project have identified locations for the establishment of around 25 commuter stations and intercity stations along the route of the network. The alignment of a roughly 1,000-kilometre-long rail system extending from Khatmat Malaha on Oman’s border with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), to Duqm on the Wusta coast, has already been finalised. Development of the network will be undertaken in four sections, with priority likely to be accorded to two key sections — one extending north from Muscat to the Port of Sohar, and the other running south from Muscat to Duqm.
According to officials, a total of eight commuter stations are envisioned along the 280-kilometre rail line from Muscat to Sohar Port. These are proposed to be built at Al Misfah (near Rusayl), Al Abyath, Al Hazm, Al Hur, Al Khabourah, Daqal, Saham and Sohar Port. Importantly, three intercity stations are planned as well at Muscat, Barka and Sohar City. Furthermore, six commuter stations are proposed along the 520-kilometre-long rail line that will run south from Muscat to Duqm. These are envisaged at Bid Bid, Samayil, Izki, Ibra, Sinaw and Mahout, while a major intercity station will be built at the industrial port city of Duqm.
The third section of the rail network — a roughly 150-kilometre branch line extending from Sohar to Buraimi — will feature two commuter stations at Wadi al Jizzi and Sunainah, with a full-fledged intercity station envisioned at Buraimi. Four commuter stations are also planned on the fourth section that runs north from Sohar to Khatmat Malaha. These stations will come up at Liwa, Shinas, Al Aqar and Khatmat Malaha.
The Supreme Committee for Town Planning (SCTP) is the lead agency responsible for the development and implementation of the country’s national rail transportation system. More than 30 engineering consultants have already registered to prequalify for a contract to provide engineering design and supervision consultancy services for the project.
A similar number of firms have also sought to prequalify for a contract to provide project management services.
Prequalification offers for either tender are currently under evaluation. A shortlist of prequalified bidders is likely to be announced within a month, it is learnt.
One or more engineering consultants will be appointed to undertake the design of the different sections of the rail network, with an award expected to be announced early next year.
A joint venture team of experts representing Systra Consulting of France and the National Engineering Office (NEO) of the Sultanate has already completed a study of the design requirements for the National Railway project.
Oman’s National Railway network will comprise a double track, standard-gauge (1,435mm) system with provision made for the introduction of high-speed trains, with speeds of up to 350 kilometres per hour (kph), in the future. Initially, however, passenger trains will be operated at speeds of 200 kph, while freight trains will run at speeds ranging from 80 to 120 kph.
The trains will run on electrical power, supplied through overhead electrical infrastructure that will be built along the length of the network.
Besides facilitating the introduction of an efficient transportation system in the Sultanate, the freight and passenger railway project will also provide strong impetus to industrial and tourism activities around the country.
The rail system will form part of a planned Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) rail network connecting Oman with the UAE and other Gulf countries.
According to authorities, a feasibility study of the GCC rail network extending from Kuwait to Muscat, connecting all six Gulf station, has found the initiative to be “feasible and economically justified”.
The study has also concluded that a private concession for the Operation and Maintenance (O&M) of the GCC Railway is “financially viable”.