A Gulf railway link is in tune with the times

Gerhard Schroeder, the German Chancellor, on his visit to Kuwait has called for the creation of a 2,000 km Gulf railway link, starting from Kuwait City and ending up in Oman.

As business ideas go, this is a much needed one. Inter-Gulf trade has been on the rise for a number of years and ports within the UAE, given their excellent track record of handling large volumes of bulk cargo, and that too efficiently, has led to the main road arteries to be clogged with heavy traffic moving containers to other Gulf states.

As countries in the region continue to experience an extraordinary business boom, which ranges from the construction to the consumer sector, the import of goods remains a mainstay of the flow of trade.

The initiative has been discussed in the past and I have never been able to get a reasonable answer as to why the idea is not good. I can understand that in previous reviews of the idea there was a consensus that given a low population and the existence of a regional air traffic demand, the use of a railway for passengers would be fraught with the issue of inadequate passenger traffic.

Indeed, while the inter-Gulf traffic of passengers remains steadily increasing it does not have the volumes to justify a large investment in the passenger railway side of the equation. In addition, given the varying rules for visas between the various Gulf countries for expatriates, who are the bulk of the resident population, the ease of movement is not simply there.

As the rules are being relaxed for expatriate travel between GCC countries, the possible demand for passenger traffic on railways might emerge.

However, we must consider that the cost of air travel remains very competitive within the GCC countries and hence the price point at which passenger traffic can take place needs to be considered. Further, the lower the price point, it will be a much needed convenience for the lower income groups.

However, nothing in this suggests that the idea of a railway system on a Gulf basis should be shelved simply because we do not have the passenger traffic. On the contrary it must be considered that a strategy for the railway system has been seen in conjunction with an infrastructure plan and strategy.

There is no denying that the road systems in a number of GCC countries are getting stretched. Given a higher income level, the ease of access to automobiles is causing a congestion problem in a number of cities.

In addition, cities like Dubai and Doha are witnessing phenomenal growth, which in turn is bringing in more people and more businesses. The associated problems of traffic planning are on a scale and magnitude that really makes city and urban planning quite a challenge.

Congestion

For long-term residents like myself, the days when one could cruise uninterrupted on Shaikh Zayed Road were only five-odd year back. Today the congestion is assuming alarming proportions. The emergence of a Gulfwide railway system will indeed reduce the heavy traffic off the highways and, more important, create an argument for efficient circulation of heavy goods and cargo.

There is no doubt that the business case for this is more than justified, and it is something that needs to be done soon and fast.

While some of the cities are planning localised solutions for passenger traffic by looking into light railways systems, the approach has to be a twin staged one. On the one hand, create the infrastructure for light railways for people to move within the city and, side by side, find ways to move cargo off the roads and onto the railways to ensure that an equilibrium exists between necessity and urgency.

Indeed, railway systems are expensive, and the return on the capital invested takes long gestation period but it has to been beyond economics alone, and meshed with the needs of the time.

enough of this topic already, we have half a dozen threads on the same topic.. no its not happening.. i hope not at least... its just a waste of money and not economically sensibilee..

Ive read an article couple of days ago about German consultant who said that they have this magnetic technology and no one have those in the whole world except germany. It was like he was searching for someone to take money from.

Let's see how the Saudi railway expansion goes and then talk about a gulfwide network.

GCC rail link

ABU DHABI: A German company will sign A memoranda of understanding with the government of Abu Dhabi on the development of a railway linking Abu Dhabi with the neighbouring GCC countries.

Dornier will investigate and conduct feasibility studies on how to link the Emirates with its neighbouring GCC countries.

These will then be later developed into a master plan and later a detailed plan on how to construct a railway system in addition to the UAE's existing road network.

The Saudi Railroad Network Project
From Ahlan Wasahlan Saudi Arabian Airlines Inflight Magazine

Major Projects of the Saudi Railroads Organisation (SRO)

Saudi Arabia was aware of the importance of railroads systems from the start; the first railroad in the kingdom was completed in the 1950's. The fact that Saudi Arabia's economy is rated 25th globally, and the stage that economic development has reached has led the government to consider seriously the importance of expanding Saudi Arabia's railroad system. As a result, the work to build three major expansion projects is underway.

The Landbridge Project East-West Rail Link

The railway project will connect the port cities of Jeddah, Dammam and Al Jubail and will pass through the capital city Riyadh and serve its dry port. The project will involve:
- Construction of approximately 950 kilometres of new line between Riyadh and Jeddah.
- Construction of approximately 115 kilometres of new line betwen Dammam and Al Jubail.
- Upgrade of the existing rail link between Riyadh and Dammam which consists of:
* 556 kilometres single track line used only for freight.
* 449 kilometres single track line used by passenger trains.
- Integration of the new lines with Jeddah Islamic Port, Riyadh Dry Port, King Abdul Aziz Port and Al Jubail Port.

This project will primarily be used for the transport of local inbound and outbound containers to and from the port of Jeddah, to the Port of Dammam in the Arabian (Persian) Gulf for further shipment to and from the Gulf States.

The Western Project Makkah-Madinah Rail Link

This project will link the two holy cities of Makkah and Al Madinah through Jeddah with a junction connecting Al Madinah to Yanbu Seaport. This railway will be primarily used for passengers and will serve the large numbers of Umrah visitors and Hajj pilgrims travelling between the two holy cities every year. This project will require building 570 kilometres of track in total.

To be contd..

The North-South Project

This project will link Riyadh's existing railway with Al Jalamid situated at the extreme north and Al Zubirah near Qassim. The new rail link will use a sector of the Landbridge project between Riyadh and Dammam and Jubail industrial city. This project will be primarily for the transportation of minerals from Al Jalamid which has a huge deposit of phosphates and from Al Zubirah near Qassim which is rich in bauxites.

- Between 1998 and 2000 at the request of an inter-ministerial committee for railway network development, the World Bank undertook a study to confirm and / or recalibrate the conclusions of earlier studies and to confirm the core railway expansion program within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with private sector participation.

- In June 2002 the Supreme Economic Council approved the executive program for the Kingdom's planned rail network through the private sector on a Build Operate Transfer basis. Saudi Railways Organisation was appointed as the executive agency for the two projects.

- In September 2002 the Saudi Railways Organisation issued invitations for Expressions of Interest for providing Financial & Technical Advisory Services for the Saudi Railway Expansion Project.

- In November 2003 Request for Proposals for providing Legal Advisory Services for the Saudi Railway Expansion Project was issued to short-listed parties by the Saudi Railways Organisation.

- In December 2003 a consortium of the Union Bank of Switzerland, the National Commercial Bank of Saudi Arabia and the French Railroads Corporation were appointed by the supreme Economic Council of Saudi Arabia to provide financial and technical services for the Saudi railway expansion projects.

- In 2004 an international London-based law firm, Linklaters, in association with the Saudi law firm Abdulaziz Al Fahd, was appointed to provide legal advisory services for the railway expansion.

On briefing the Saudi national newspapers following the announcement of these huge expansion projects, Dr Jubaira Al Suraisry, the Minister of Transport stressed his vision which considers transport not only as a service to Saudi citizens but also as a major component in Saudi efforts to develop the national economy and to assume a significant and growing role in regional and international economics affairs.

He added that Saudi Arabia has successfully achieved the most advanced network of highways, airports and seaports, but the railway network is notably underdeveloped. This situation has led the SRO to consider seriously the importance of expanding the railroads.

Saudi Arabia has abundant mineral resources. The tourism industry will not flourish without a good and modern transportation network serving the tourist cities all over the Kingdom and there will not be any development of the agricultural sector, if the agricultural production cities are not linked with cities with high-density populations.

The North-South Railway Project will offer transport facilities to the untapped mining sites. It will serve the Al Jalamid site in the north of the country, which has huge deposits of phosphate, and the Qassim site near Al Zubirah with its large bauxite deposits. The feasibility of these mining projects depends to a large extent on the availability of a reliable and cost-effective mode of transport from the mines to the industrcial cities of the seaports.

The Landbridge Railway Project will transform the existing rail network into a world-class freight and passenger rail link across the country. It will have the capability to move large quantities of cargo over long distances at competitive rates and will offer safe and comfortable overland passenger transport. The project will establish the port of Jeddah as a principal hub in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf States. Jeddah, with its strategic location on the Red Sea, lies on the main route from North America and Europe to Asia; a rail link to Dammam Seaport will be essential as it will provide a fast, reliable and economical mode of transport, especially for containers going between the Red Sea and the Arabian Gulf.

The trend in the shipping industry is to use fifith and sixth generation large vessels, which accomodate between 8,000 to 10,000 containers. These vessels need major seaports like Jeddah Islamic Seaport, which can handle the unloading of such huge container cargoes.

It is estimated that transit container traffic for the Gulf region will reach 3.8 million tonnes by 2005, and that domestic container traffic about 3.5 million tonnes a year by 2005. The project will also cut the time it takes to ship containers around the Arabian Peninsula by sea by five to ten days.

To be contd.

Thanks for the GREAT effort Swan Princes.. Very VERY valuble information :)
Now I'm inpired to draw a map of the GCC rail link. Such project would be the best implimintation of the GCC..

Thanks for the GREAT effort Swan Princes.. Very VERY valuble information :)
Now I'm inpired to draw a map of the GCC rail link. Such project would be the best implimintation of the GCC..

sorry there is a map in the magazine and pictures.. but i can't scan until saturday when i'm back in my own apt. i'll charge the cam batteries though and take a picture of the picture if you like it earlier.

The Western Project Makkah-Madinah Railway Link

The Makkah-Madinah Rail link is planned to carry passengers between the two holy cities via Jeddah with a junction to Yanbu Seaport. This railway service will give our visitors who perform Umrah and pilgrimages, an alternative mode of transportation between the two holy cities. This railway link will significantly reduce the traffic congestion on the highways between the major cities in the Western Regions, which will result in enhancing the safety of the road user and reduce air pollution on roads.

Dr Al Suraisry told reporters that the Saudi Government's strategy is to encourage the private sector to undertake the task of boosting the efficient development of these projects and to shoulder increasing responsibility for its integrated management, operation and maintenance activities. He stressed the need to accelerate the process of tendering these two projects, since it is the right time for financing of such huge projects, as the cost of loans is at its lowest level in the international markets, and here in Saudi Arabia, cash liquidity is abundant. There is a huge amount of cash ready for such investment channels. He added that in these prevailing conditions, he believed that they would find a list of interested parties, who will be ready to invest, and due to the complexity of the project he expected that investors and construction companies will form consortiums to bid for them.

The North-South Railway Project will be jointly financed by the government and the private sector. The Saudi Investment Fund will finance 60% of the cost of the projects, and the remaining 40% will be offered to investors from the private sector including the Saudi Arabian Mining Company (Maaden).

According to Engineer Khalid al-Yahya, president of the Saudi Railways Organisation (SRO), the construction of the two projects will take three to five years to complete and they are estimated to cost approximately $2 billion.

The Landbridge Project will be essentially an expansion of the existing Saudi railway network, which connects the port of Dammam to Riyadh; the first railway link was built in the early 1950's. This network was considerably enhanced in the 1980's when a high-speed direct line was constructed connecting these two cities. The old line, which is 556 kilometres long is now used for freight operations, while the newer 449 kilometre line is used by passenger trains.

To be contd. (hand-typed)

Map

Green line = existing rail network
Blue line = projected rail network

http://www.ayuplanet.com/images/saudirail.jpg

Very kool project. Saudi arabia currently has the only real market that can support such a project. Lets just hope saudi beucracy doesnt take the best of this project.

hehe... funny how it doesnt extends to the south!! walla masken hal il janoob la shawr3 3adlah wella sekat 7aded!! :)

Kingdom’s Railway Expansion Project Is Well on Track
P.K. Abdul Ghafour, Arab News

JEDDAH, 31 March 2005 — Saudi Arabia’s landmark railway expansion project, which links its east with the west as well as the cities of Makkah, Madinah and Jeddah, has made remarkable headway. Many international companies have expressed interest in the multibillion dollar venture.

“Saudi Railways Organization (SRO) has invited leading North American, European and Japanese companies specialized in operating high speed trains to present their proposals on the latest technologies,” said Khaled Alyahya, its president. SRO will study their offers in order to select preferred technology.

The project involves construction of 950 km new tracks between Riyadh and Jeddah and another 115-km line between Dammam and Jubail as well as upgrading of the existing rail link between Riyadh and Dammam.

“Many international companies have expressed interest in the giant project by responding to SRO’s invitation,” Alyahya said in reference to the western line of the project linking Makkah, Madinah and Jeddah.

A major Italian company yesterday presented its proposals to Transport Minister Dr. Jebara Al-Seraisry during a meeting, which was attended by SRO’s technical team and consultants. The offer was based on the Italian speed train technology.

“We hope the coming weeks will witness similar proposals from North American, German, Japanese and French companies. In the light of these offers we will set out operational requirements and technical standards that suit the Kingdom’s environment and conditions,” he said.

Referring to the studies conducted by financial and technical advisers, Alyahya said the studies, which focused on passenger demand and ticket price, were in the final stages. “They have interviewed some 2,500 passengers at different places and times including Haj and Ramadan seasons,” he said.

“The result of these studies clearly shows that there is considerable demand for train service between Makkah, Jeddah and Madinah and this project will have a lot of social and economic benefits,” Alyahya said, adding that it would also serve pilgrims and visitors of the two holy mosques.

He denied press reports that French companies would be given priority in carrying out the railway expansion project. “The two projects (including the land bridge) will be implemented after inviting tenders from international companies and the winners of contracts will be selected in accordance with international norms,” he added.

Certain international companies currently monopolize speed train technology. “We don’t want to set out certain specific standards in order to give an impression that the Kingdom gives priority to the technology of a particular company. We want to keep the field open for all companies and investors to propose technical and financial solutions to implement the project,” he added.

The proposed land bridge will reduce travel time between Riyadh and Jeddah by at least five hours depending on the type of trains used. “There are two options: One, to operate high speed trains averaging 220 km per hour, and the other to operate regular trains with sleeper coaches,” Alyahya said.

He said cargo trains would be able to cover the distance between Jeddah and Dammam within 24 hours. “The new railway project will promote travel and freight transportation in the whole Gulf region,” he added. He described the project as one of the largest BOT schemes ever undertaken in the region.

there was one page left to copy for that saudi rail article, but i travelled and forgot the magazine back home.. sorry

Its no problem Swan Princess i guess we have a lot of info on this post :D.;)

The Saudi Landbridge Project

The Saudi Landbridge will transform the existing rail network in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia ("KSA") into a world-class freight and passenger rail link across the country. It will have the capability to move large quantities of cargo over long distances at competitive rates and will offer safe and comfortable overland passenger transport.

The railway will connect the port cities of Jeddah, Dammam and Jubail and will pass through the capital city Riyadh and serve its dry port.

The project will involve:

1) Construction of a c. 950 km new line between Riyadh and Jeddah

2) Construction of a c. 115 km new line between Dammam and Jubail


Upgrade of the existing rail link between Riyadh and Dammam, including connection to the new Riyadh-Jeddah and Dammam-Jubail lines. Integration of the new lines with Jeddah Islamic Port, King Abdul Aziz Port, Dammam and Riyadh Dry Port

http://www.saudirailexpansion.com/images/map_saudilandbridge.gif


Makkah-Madinah Rail Link

A large number of Umrah visitors and Hajj pilgrims travel between Makkah and Madinah every year, a number that is expected to grow as a result of the new rules greatly facilitating Hajj/Umrah visits. The Makkah Madinah Rail Link ("MMRL") will involve:

The project will involve:

1) Construction of a new line between Jeddah and Makkah

2) Construction of a new line between Jeddah and Madinah

3) Construction of a spur from the Jeddah-Madinah line to Yanbu


The project will provide a safe, fast, reliable and comfortable mode of transport for Umrah visitors and Hajj pilgrims travelling to Makkah and Madinah via Jeddah.

http://www.saudirailexpansion.com/SaudiRailExpansion/images/map_makkah-madinah.gif

So long waited to see this ! good, now they can compete with Airlines, and reduce accident rates on saudi roads, which are world record high..

Saudi Arabia has been nominated to prepare a technical study on establishing a GCC railway network connecting all member countries. An initial study proposes two lines from Kuwait through to Oman, which includes a Bahrain-Qatar bridge crossing. The study is expected to be finished in six months.

The UAE isn't mentioned but it would also be a part of this railway.

Sounds like a lovely idea. :cool:

If Im not mistaken, railways already exist in some parts of Saudi Arabia? :)

^ I think its only between Riyadh and Dammam.

The internal railway expansion of Saudi Arabia is different from the proposed railway project which would connect all GCC countries.

In Saudi Arabia, railway exists between Riyadh and Dammam (Khobar) and now they are expanding the railway to make it look something like this:

http://www.saudirailexpansion.com/images/map_saudilandbridge.gif

http://www.saudirailexpansion.com/SaudiRailExpansion/images/map_makkah-madinah.gif

But the GCC Railway is a seperate project, which has been recently proposed

The map looks weird. :D
Anyways I remember seeing some railways many years ago, whilst I was travelling by car from Kuwait to Bahrain.

Railways sound like a good idea to connect all GCC countries, especially at a time like this. Many people these days find it hectic to buy airplane tickets and/or drive by car. Hopefully the railway business could overcome the excess demand for transportation in the region. :cool:

www.saudirailexpansion.com

Is this a proposed project or is it in construction phase ?

Qatar4ever,

The expected Project timetable is as follows:

• Receipt of SOQ - not later than 14:30, 31 August 2005 ;

• Notification of Pre-qualification - October 2005;

• Issue of RFP - November 2005;

• Submission of bid - May 2006.

Saudi LandBridge Project
http://www.saudirailexpansion.com/images/map_saudilandbridge.gif
The Saudi Landbridge will transform the existing rail network in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia ("KSA") into a world-class freight and passenger rail link across the country. It will have the capability to move large quantities of cargo over long distances at competitive rates and will offer safe and comfortable overland passenger transport.

The railway will connect the port cities of Jeddah, Dammam and Jubail and will pass through the capital city Riyadh and serve its dry port.

The project will involve:


1) Construction of a c. 950 km new line between Riyadh and Jeddah

2) Construction of a c. 115 km new line between Dammam and Jubail


Upgrade of the existing rail link between Riyadh and Dammam, including connection to the new Riyadh-Jeddah and Dammam-Jubail lines. Integration of the new lines with Jeddah Islamic Port, King Abdul Aziz Port, Dammam and Riyadh Dry Port

The KSA will grant concessions to the private sector for the construction and operation of the Saudi Landbridge via a Build Operate Transfer ("BOT") contract. This will be one of the largest BOT schemes ever undertaken in the region.

A consortium comprising UBS Investment Bank, The National Commercial Bank and SNCF International has been selected by Saudi Railways Organization ("SRO") to provide Financial and Technical Advisory Services for the Saudi Landbridge.

Pre-qualification of consortia for the project, which has the full support of the KSA, is expected to commence in the first half of 2005.




The Existing Network

The existing Saudi Railways network connects the port city of Dammam to the capital city Riyadh.



There are two lines in operation:

1) 556 km single track line built in the 1950s and used only for freight

2) 449 km single track line built in the 1980s and used by passenger trains


The railway handles about 850,000 passengers and 850 million ton-kms of cargo every year, of which about 80% is container traffic from Dammam to Riyadh and back. SRO transported about 108,000 TEUs in 2002.

SRO also owns and manages Riyadh Dry Port.

http://www.saudirailexpansion.com/images/exist-map.gif





Planned Riyadh-Jeddah Link

The new Riyadh-Jeddah single track line will be approximately 950 km long. Proposed conjunction for this line is from a point about 30 km from Riyadh on the old line (in order to avoid built up areas). It will then head towards the Riyadh-Jeddah expressway and run, for a greater part, parallel to it until Al Muwayh al Jadid. From this point onwards it will pass north of Makkah and Taif.

This line, in conjunction with the existing Riyadh-Dammam line, will be primarily used for the transport of container traffic to and from the port of Jeddah to the Port of Dammam in the Arabian Gulf for further shipment to and from the UAE, Iran, Kuwait, etc. (i.e. a land-bridge) and for inland destinations (i.e. a mini-bridge). The line will also be used to transport passengers between Jeddah and Riyadh.

http://www.saudirailexpansion.com/images/RIY-JED-MAP.gif




Planned Dammam-Jubail Link

The new Dammam-Jubail single track line will be approximately 115 km long. It will link the railway network to the city of Jubail and Jubail Port. Jubail is an industrial city that generates a large quantity of cargo for Riyadh, Jeddah and the northern part of Saudi Arabia.

The rail connection to Jubail will provide a reliable and economical means of transport of the industrial produce of the city to other parts of the country.

http://www.saudirailexpansion.com/images/dam-jubmap.gif


==================================================


Makkah-Madinah Rail Link Project
http://www.saudirailexpansion.com/SaudiRailExpansion/images/map_makkah-madinah.gif
large number of Umrah visitors and Hajj pilgrims travel between Makkah and Madinah every year, a number that is expected to grow as a result of the new rules greatly facilitating Hajj/Umrah visits. The Makkah Madinah Rail Link ("MMRL") will involve:

The project will involve:

1) Construction of a new line between Jeddah and Makkah

2) Construction of a new line between Jeddah and Madinah

3) Construction of a spur from the Jeddah-Madinah line to Yanbu


The project will provide a safe, fast, reliable and comfortable mode of transport for Umrah visitors and Hajj pilgrims travelling to Makkah and Madinah via Jeddah.

The KSA will grant concessions to the private sector for the construction and operation of the MMRL via a Build, Operate Transfer ("BOT") contract.



Passenger service to accommodate annual pilgrimage:
Railway will be primarily geared towards passenger service;
High speed mass transit system;
Approximately 2.5 million pilgrims during the Hajj period and 7.5 million Umrah visitors
during the year;
Approximately 2 million Umrah visitors during the Ramadan season alone;
Heavy commuter traffic between Makkah & Jeddah.

Concessionaire responsible for design, financing, construction and operation:
Opportunity for Hi-tech transport solution providers to introduce their technology;
Concessionaire will have freedom to adopt suitable design and construction techniques





==================================================


The expected Project timetable is as follows:

• Receipt of SOQ - not later than 14:30, 31 August 2005 ;

• Notification of Pre-qualification - October 2005;

• Issue of RFP - November 2005;

• Submission of bid - May 2006.

So we know about the Saudi part, but what about the trans-GCC railway? Are the plans going along fine?

Saudi Railway tenders in
Saudi Arabia: Tuesday, September 06 - 2005 at 10:30

Saudi Railway GM Khaled Al Yahya told Al-Eqtisadiah newspaper that eight consortiums, consisting of local and international companies, have tendered for the trans-Saudi railway project. He said applications would be reviewed and the decision on the winning bidder would be made during H1 2006.

Proposed Arabian railway network includes stations on UAE coast
Posted: 13-12-2005 , 13:04 GMT
The seven UAE emirates could be connected to an ambitious Arabian railway network extending in a giant loop from the Syrian/Turkish border, through Iraq and along the Arabian Peninsula’s Gulf, Arabian Sea and Red Sea coasts, delegates at the MENA Rail component of the Gulf Traffic 2005 exhibition were told.

In a presentation on the General Overview of the Current & Future of Arab Rail, Murhaf Al Sabouni, General Secretary of the Syria-based Arab Railway Union, revealed that Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah could be main line stops on the 1,860km “third artery” of the proposed rail network between Basra and Muscat. The northern emirates of Ajman, Umm Al Qaiwain and Ras Al Khaimah, along with Fujairah on the country’s east coast would be branch line stations, Al Sabouni revealed. In theory, the creation of an Arabian railway network would enable train journeys from Dubai to Damascus, Beirut or Cairo.

The presentation was based on a study conducted by the Arab Railway Union and the Syrian General Corporation for Railways in association with the Arab Transport Ministers Council of the Arab League. No date was suggested for the implementation of the Arabian Railway network, which would be created by filling in the gaps between existing railways in countries such as Syria, Iraq, Jordan and Saudi Arabia.

The only section of track that currently exists on the network’s Arabian Gulf artery is between Damman and Hufuf.

In addition to the construction of new track over large distances, challenges to face include the differing widths of existing tracks, which vary from 950mm to the standard 1435mm.

In all, the network would comprise 10 arteries and cover 25,000km, said Al Sabouni, stretching from the Syrian/Turkish border in the north to Aden in the south, west through Arabic-speaking North Africa to Mauritania on the Atlantic coast and as far east as the Iraqi border with Iran. In North Africa, Egypt, Sudan, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco and Mauritania all have existing railway lines which would be utilised in the network, said Al Sabouni.

While the proposed Arabian railway network seems to hark back to 19th century travel rather than 21st, delegates at the MENA Rail component of Gulf Traffic 2005 heard that rail offers a practical alternative to short and medium-haul flights for both freight and people.

Dr Marc Kaddoura, Chairman and CEO of railway infrastructure specialists VAE Group, which is exhibiting at MENA Rail, told conference delegates that the 3km long freight trains that are familiar sights in the US, South America and Australia “show what railways can do.” Kaddoura added: “They offer an efficient and economic means of transport and in terms of cost saving can rival road transportation.” High speed passenger trains, meanwhile, are faster than a Formula 1 racing car, he said. “In the medium haul range, trains offer a challenge to air traffic,” he added.

Commenting on the MENA Rail component of Gulf Traffic 2005, Davyd Farrell, Transport Project Director, IIR Middle East, organisers of Gulf Traffic, said: “This is the first time we’ve included rail within the Gulf Traffic exhibition and conference and the interest, even from countries without existing rail systems has been high. MENA Rail within Gulf Traffic 2005 is a new and exciting forum to discuss the benefits of rail over air and even road transport.”