GCC rail project top of the agenda, says Mazroui

Abu Dhabi: GCC railway is at the top of the the agenda at the GCC summit in Abu Dhabi.

Report about the rail network in the Gulf has been submitted to the GCC policy makesr for further recommendation and approval to be announced at the summit closing on Tuesday.

The much talked about 2,117km rail network is likely to be completed by 2017 to link the GCC states if final permission is granted at the summit.

Mohammad Bin Obaid Al Mazroui, GCC assistant secretary-general for economic affairs, told Gulf News that after the summit approval of the rail project , the it will go ahead to etwork construction phase and tenders could be called as early as possible to develop the design.

He added that the cost of the GCC railway has been estimated up to $30 billion, with diesel-powered trains operating at speeds of up to 200km/h carrying passengers and freight between the six states.

However, Al Mazroui remarked that the technology would likely be upgraded by 2017, the scheduled time of operation, to meet the required standard of development.

The GCC meeting discussed the feasibility study of the railway project and integrity between the member states in the transport field to go ahead with the project to phase three — construction of the network, said Al Mazroui.

The GCC railway is the most ambitious project attempted in the region. It would change the transportation pattern in the GCC. Train services across the six GCC states will facilitate movement and travel of GCC citizens as well as expatriates and boost regional trade.

In terms of expatriates movement across the GCC countries using the train would not be difficult or either complicated.

By the time the project is completed, the railway will connect six countries, five capital cities and two seas and cross three deserts, two waterways and a mountain range. The project also includes bridges, causeways, tunnels and cutting more than 21km-long.