A NEW TRACK
Developing a modern, integrated logistics and transport system is an essential part of Oman's economy diversification strategy.
Oman's new railway will re-design and boost the logistics landscape of the Sultanate, becoming the nerve system that will link the major new ports that are growing at pace in the country and contributing to make Oman a new logistics hub in the GCC.
The ambitious National Railway Project aims at providing opportunities for setting up new industries and services that will foster the growth of GDP and create specialized job opportunities. The railway will enhance trade activity in the Sultanate, relieving traffic congestion in the city of Muscat and cutting transportation costs; it will also allow for simplified freight movement and efficient passenger transportation.
The economic impact of the project will be remarkable. The railway will offer many employment and entrepreneurial opportunities. As reported by the Oman Observer, this timely project will require an estimated 12,000-kilometers of rail with a rail production plant that is seen as a viable option for the production of high-quality rails. A further estimated 10.2 million concrete sleepers for the network can potentially result in as many as five production plants being established at key locations along the alignment, with output from a medium-sized plant producing about 300,000 sleepers per year.
The project will consist of a 2,244-kilometer national railway network with segments from Sohar to the UAE border in Al Ain, Al Sunainah to Sinaw, Sinaw to Duqm, Duqm to Salalah, Sohar to Muscat, Al Misfah to Sinaw, Sinaw to Ibra, Thamrait to Al Mazyouna, and Sohar to Oman's border at Khatmat Milahah where tracks will eventually be linked up to the proposed trans-GCC rail network.
The government has recently established the Oman Railway Company (ORC), which will oversee all activities related to the country's national rail network. ORC has appointed the Italian company Italferr, to provide consultancy services for the initial project design, while Abu Taman Grant Thornton will provide the consultancy services needed to develop the railway company's organizational structure.
In an interview with TBY, Roberto Liuzza, Project Director at Italferr, disclosed that “the railway service will be operated by diesel locomotives, serving both freight and passenger traffic with a modern high standard infrastructure and system; the passenger trains' maximum speed will be 200 kilometers per hour, while freight trains will reach a peak of 120 kilometers per hour."
The Italian engineering company will apply its technical know-how to face the challenging and complex geography that marks the Sultanate.
The design activities will be completed in January 2016, while the main priority of the project is the connection of Oman's main ports of Sohar, Duqm, and Salalah to the UAE border.
A NEW TRACK
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Interview
HE Yusuf Bin Alawi Bin Abdullah, Minister Responsible for Foreign Affairs, Sultanate of Oman
TBY talks to HE Yusuf Bin Alawi Bin Abdullah, Minister Responsible for Foreign Affairs of the Sultanate of Oman, on the skillful use of diplomacy to promote peace and security throughout the region and beyond.
read articleGuest Speaker
His Royal Highness Prince Mohamed Bolkiah, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Brunei Darussalam
TBY talks to His Royal Highness Prince Mohamed Bolkiah, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Brunei Darussalam, on the close ties his nation has with the Sultanate of Oman, and the potential for joint investments.
read articleGuest Speaker
HE Seán Sherlock, Minister of State Development, Trade Promotion, & North-South Co-operation, Republic of Ireland
TBY talks to HE Seán Sherlock, Minister of State Development, Trade Promotion, & North-South Co-operation of Ireland, on bilateral agreements, investment opportunities, and relations between the two states.
read articleInterview
HE Dr. Mohammad Bin Al Zubair, Advisor to His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said for Economic Planning Affairs, Sultanate of Oman
TBY talks to HE Dr. Mohammad Bin Al Zubair, Advisor to His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said for Economic Planning Affairs, on economic diversification, Omanization, and SMEs.
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Hilal bin Hamad Al Hasani, CEO, Public Establishment for Industrial Estates (PEIE)
TBY talks to Hilal bin Hamad Al Hasani, CEO of the Public Establishment for Industrial Estates (PEIE), on attracting investment, supporting local development, and establishing new opportunities.
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HE Said bin Hamdoon bin Saif Al Harthy, Undersecretary, Ports and Maritime Affairs
TBY talks to HE Said bin Hamdoon bin Saif Al Harthy, Undersecretary of Ports and Maritime Affairs, on the important role that the Sultanate's maritime industry is playing in promoting trade and economic activity.
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HE Yahya Said Abdullah Al Jabri, Chairman, Special Economic Zone Authority at Duqm (SEZAD)
TBY talks to HE Yahya Said Abdullah Al Jabri, Chairman of the Special Economic Zone Authority at Duqm (SEZAD), on the rise of the Duqm area, and the opportunities on offer for investors and businesses.
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HE Didier Reynders, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade, European Affairs
TBY talks to HE Didier Reynders, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade, and European Affairs of Belgium, on bilateral relations and maritime cooperation between the two states.
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Dr. Fuad Jaffer Al Sajwani, Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries Wealth, Sultanate of Oman
TBY talks to Dr. Fuad Jaffer Al Sajwani, Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries Wealth, on the sector's role in diversification, encouraging international investment, and ensuring stable prices.
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HE Hamed Said Al-Oufi, Undersecretary of Fisheries Wealth, Ministry of Agriculture & Fisheries Wealth
TBY talks to HE Hamed Said Al-Oufi, Undersecretary of Fisheries Wealth at the Ministry of Agriculture & Fisheries Wealth, on the role fisheries wealth can play in diversification and boosting the sector through technology.
read articleInterview
HE Dr. Rashid Bin Salim Al-Masroori, Executive President, Public Authority for Stores and Food Reserve
TBY talks to HE Dr. Rashid Bin Salim Al-Masroori, Executive President of the Public Authority for Stores and Food Reserve (PASFR), on the drive to ensure food security and boost local production in key sectors.
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