Over 2,000km railway on track: GCC train feasibility, traffic studies complete

Over 2,000km railway on track: GCC train feasibility, traffic studies complete

The 2,117km GCC Railway that will connect key cities in each of the six GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) member states is on track. All feasibility and traffic studies have been completed and the regional rollout will materialise soon.

A Gulf railway expert shared this with Khaleej Times on the sidelines of the two-day Middle East Rail Exhibition and Conference that concluded in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.

Nasser AlQahtani, GCC Railway Authority expert, said the GCC Railway Authority – that was created by the Supreme Council of the GCC to oversee and manage the implementation of region’s railway network – is actively supporting all member states for the regional railway project.

AlQahtani also gave updates on the individual efforts by GCC member states to expand their local transport infrastructure in line with GCC Railway. He added both the UAE and Saudi Arabia are the front runners of the project.

GCC Railway updates

The UAE’s 900km national network has been completed and Etihad Rail's commercial freight services have been fully operational since April, transporting any type of cargo across the country. The freight trains are powered by a fleet of 38 locomotives and more than 1,000 wagons.

Saudi Arabia’s 200-km Ras Al Khair-Damman route passing through Jubail has