Gulf Railway

The south Persian Gulf Railway will further connect GCC countries with stops in major cities of the 6 members of the Gulf Cooperation Council.

Gulf Railway is a planned railway to connect the six Arab Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC)-member states of the Persian Gulf. It is supposed to be a 2,177-km regional network, when fully operational. The project has met hurdles on account of challenges with the financing of the project, and lack of alignment of the interests of the six states involved. The expected date of completion of the project is uncertain, given the lack of clarity on the exact scale and operating model of the venture.[1] 200 km/h diesel trains are planned to travel across borders to boost trade. The cost will be shared by the six countries in proportion to the length of main line in each country. The six member countries are:

The planned railway would extend from Kuwait's border with Iraq to Salalah in southern Oman.[2] It is also planned the railway line will possibly extend to Yemen from Oman and Saudi Arabia.[3]

A GCC Rail Authority is to be established to oversee the development of the network.[4]

Saudi Arabia plans to connect and expand existing tracks to Dammam to provide access to its capital city, Riyadh.

References

  1. ↑ "New timeline for 2,177-km GCC rail project". Arab News. 2016-02-28. Retrieved 2016-05-25.
  2. ↑ Conrad Prabhu (10 April 2010). "Oman Railway Project gains pace; 475-km network in northern part". Oman Observer.
  3. ↑ "Gulf Railway could start next year". Railway Gazette International. 18 November 2009.
  4. ↑ "Pointers". Railway Gazette International. 9 October 2010.


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