The Public Authority for Roads and Land Transport (PART) confirms that the consulting agreement tender for the detailed study and document preparation of the railway project is currently in the bidding phase, in preparation for commencing the design.
PART stated that the tender was initiated in December last year and several consulting firms have submitted bids.
The submissions were then forwarded to the Central Agency for Public Tenders. However, due to the expiration of the board of directors’ term at the Central Agency, procedures were temporarily paused until the appointment of the new board in June.
Originally proposed in 2009, the GCC railway project concept was approved and underwent feasibility studies to ensure alignment across participating Gulf countries.
The railway route spans 2,177 kilometers from Kuwait to Muscat, passing through all Gulf Cooperation Council nations.
The initial phase covers 265 kilometers in Kuwait. It is divided into two segments for faster implementation. The first segment spans 111 kilometers from Nuwaiseeb to Shaddadiya, southwest of Kuwait Airport T2, featuring four main passenger stations, maintenance facilities, and freight handling capabilities.
Passenger trains are expected to reach speeds of up to 200 kilometers per hour, while freight trains will operate at 120 kilometers per hour, using diesel power.
