ON TRACK!

MANAMA

MANAMA: Two rail links connecting Juffair with Manama and Bahrain International Airport with the Diplomatic Area will open to the public in 2013. Both will terminate in the Seef District and will be among six new rail links due to be up and running in Bahrain by 2030, Works Ministry roads planning and designing director Huda Fakhro revealed yesterday.

She said construction of the new rail network is due to start next year and includes plans for a tramway and Light Rail Transit (LRT) system.

"The Green Line will link the Juffair area with Al Fateh Highway and the Manama area, while the other is a Red Line from Bahrain International Airport through the Diplomatic Area," she said.

"Both lines will end at the Seef District."

Four other rail links will be added to the network, based on a study carried out by Paris-based Systra and UK firm MVA Consultancy in 2006.

"It is expected that design and construction work on the tram lines will take four years and the LRT six years," said Ms Fakhro.

"Both systems will be of the highest standards, equipped with an air-conditioning system and separate sections for first class passengers and families."

The tramway is said to be capable of running at speeds of up to 30kmph and transporting 10,000 passengers an hour.

"The project will reduce noise and pollution caused by traffic congestion, reduce waiting times for road users and fatalities and injuries from accidents," said Ms Fakhro.

The ministry announced in February last year that the study also included a Metro Rail Transit (MRT) system, capable of speeds of up to 60kmph and taking up to 60,000 passengers an hour, while a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system and a monorail were also being considered.

From the Khaleej times:
Bahrain will have monorail by 2011
From our correspondent

23 February 2007




MANAMA — If the plans go ahead as proposed, by 2011 Bahrain will have a state-of-the-art monorail and when the three-phase ambitious regional project is completed by 2030, the kingdom will be the GCC hub for the transportation system, it was announced here.

An international consultant SYSTRA-MVA has been appointed to carry out the required strategy to have the system in place. According to an official, authorities are preparing a final strategic master road plan, which includes several projects already completed and others that are in pipeline. He also pointed out that with the increasing number of cars on the roads traffic congestions have become a everyday reality and even highways are often congested and the public transport system has not been utilised to its potential by a large number of people. Another official said local, urban and extra services would be provided as alternative modes of transportation. The local services of buses would be at 15km per hour, while the urban service would have a speed of 20-30km per hour and the extra services would cover 40-60km per hour.

looking forward to see some plans/maps of the LRT system :)

Futuristic fast train will link the 5 governates with the world

: قطار المستقبل السريع ‬يربط المحافظات الخمس بالعالم

مثل حصان البحر الطالع من الأمواج، ‬تبدو جزيرة البحرين مرسومة على مخطط شبكة مواصلات المستقبل.‬
بلغة التخطيط العمراني، ‬يقدم المخطط التفصيلي ‬الهيكلي ‬لمملكة البحرين صورة لما سيجري ‬تنفيذه خلال الـ ‬25 ‬عاماً ‬المقبلة، ‬ويشمل المخطط ثلاثة أشكال من المواصلات أبرزها خطوط سكك حديدية متطورة تربط جميع المحافظات، ‬بحيث تحتوي ‬الخريطة على نقطتي ‬توقف في ‬كل محافظة.‬
وإذا كانت شبكة السكك الحديدية حلماً ‬بحرينياً ‬للمستقبل، ‬فإنها أيضاً ‬إحدى طموحات الجيران في ‬مجلس التعاون الخليجي، ‬لذلك فإن المخطط، ‬الذي ‬تعكف عليه إدارة التخطيط العمراني ‬بوزارة شؤون البلديات والزراعة حالياً، ‬يقدم أيضاً ‬تصوراً ‬لتوحيد خطوط النقل حتى تتناسب مع خطط دول مجلس التعاون بخصوص مشروع السكك الحديدية الخليجية.‬
فكرة المخطط بدأت من الإحساس بضرورة توفير شبكة مواصلات قوية وسريعة للسنوات القليلة المقلبة، ‬وذلك على ‬3 ‬محاور، ‬فإضافة إلى المخطط المتكامل لشبكة السكك الحديدية، ‬هناك أيضاً ‬تحديث وتطوير عمل حافلات النقل في ‬الأماكن التي ‬تحتاج لمزيد من النقل العام، ‬ثم توفير أكبر مساحة لتسيير السيارات في ‬المناطق المزدحمة بأنحاء المملكة.‬
وذكرت مصادر للـ ''‬الوطن'' ‬أن وزارات شؤون البلديات والأشغال وشؤون المواصلات تبحث حالياً ‬وضع إستراتيجية واضحة لازدحامات الطرق من خلال دراسات لتحديد مواقع شبكة السكك الحديدية المزمع إنشاؤها،؟ ؟مشيرة إلى أن اللجنة الوزارية للنقل والمواصلات بدول التعاون كلفت السعودية بإعداد وثيقة في؟ ؟غضون الشهور الستة المقبلة عن الشروط المرجعية لإنشاء سكة حديد بين دول مجلس التعاون.‬
وأفادت المصادر بأن وزارة البلديات ستكون من ضمن مهامها عملية استملاكات بعض الأراضي، ‬إضافة إلى تحديد خط سير السكك الحديدية.‬
قد تبدو الصورة أقرب للحلم، ‬لكن المستقبل ‬يولد دائماً ‬من رحاب الطموح، ‬وفاتورة التكاليف تبدو أيضاً ‬كبيرة، ‬لكن عجلة المشروع بدأت تدور، ‬بعد أن التقى وزير شؤون البلديات والزراعة منصور بن رجب واجتمع بعدد من الشركات العالمية من دول شرق آسيا وأوروبا لبحث كيفية تطبيق المشروع على أرض الواقع

Manama to Paris by train?
By MANDEEP SINGH


MANAMA: Travellers could one day board a train in Manama and get off in Paris, it was declared yesterday.

A GCC rail link to Turkey could be up and running in five years - with Europe proper the next step.

Planners are already mapping out possible rail routes from Bahrain and other GCC states to Europe, via Turkey, thanks to a proposal by His Majesty King Hamad.

His proposed GCC rail link to Turkey could become a reality "in the next five to six years", Turkish Ambassador to Bahrain Osman Haldun said yesterday.

It would ultimately lead to the Gulf region being connected to Europe by rail, he told the GDN.

"Once there is a railway to Turkey, a connection to Europe is the natural thing to happen after that," said Mr Haldun.

People may soon take a train ride from Manama to Paris, he said.

MONORAIL APPROVED

MANAMA

MANAMA: Bahrain's government yesterday approved a monorail train network to ease traffic flow.The Cabinet yesterday unveiled ambitious plans to overhaul public transportation through introducing the 'Monorail Metro'.

The meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shaikh Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa approved the landmark scheme.

The Works Ministry has already been commissioned to conduct an extensive feasibility study into the first phase of the project.

The monorail, an added value to public transportation, would feature carriages of varying capacity. "The initiative stems from the government's resolve to decongest Bahrain's roads and pre-empt mounting traffic challenges, Cabinet Affairs Minister Shaikh Ahmed bin Ateyatala Al Khalifa said.

The proposed monorail is the brainchild of a consortium of two commissioned world-renowned firms. They have studied the plight and character of Bahrain's traffic network and come out with a string of options and alternatives.

These include resorting to modern passenger transportation technologies to alleviate Bahrain's traffic woes.

Under a suggested long-term strategy, Bahrain would use technology which has proved a success in countries facing similar traffic challenges.

The proposed three-stage plan is expected to be complete by 2030.

Meanwhile, Bahrain's GDP grew by 8.1 per cent last year, it was revealed yesterday.

Monorail network link from Durra to Howar

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3054/2569119245_5ce0acb0b7_b.jpg

In my opinion the Capital Governorate should be interconnected with a tramway or maybe a ring monorail network. That way it will reduce the dependencies of cars around Manama.

The other governorates and outlying suburbs will be connected to a separate line that will terminate at a main central station somewhere in Manama.

Monorails are idea for small capacities and partial replacement of bus networks in some areas freeing up most of the highways in Bahrain.

Personally I like where this is going but then again there are some other things to consider like service quality, frequency, security, and many others that I can't think of right now.

Bahrain's monorail project a step closer

By MANDEEP SINGH
MANAMA

MANAMA: A 23km track linking some of the country's most congested areas could be the first phase of Bahrain's new monorail network, the GDN has learnt. A Malaysian firm is conducting a feasibility study for the three-phase project and says work could start in the next two years.

Scomi Engineering Bhd expects construction to start in the first half of 2010 and says the entire project, measuring 83km, could be completed by 2030.

The Cabinet approved a plan to build a monorail network, which would ease traffic flow and overhaul public transportation, at the end of last month.

"We have teams in place on the ground in Bahrain and are making substantial progress towards the project's implementation," the Malaysian firm's global projects vice-president V Kanesan told the GDN yesterday.

Project on track
By MANDEEP SINGH

Malaysian firm to present monorail network designs

DESIGNS for Bahrain's monorail network are due to be submitted to the government later this month, it emerged yesterday. Experts from Malaysian firm Scomi Engineering Bhd have been working on the project behind the scenes for the past year, company global projects vice-president V Kanesan told the GDN.

He said it was too early to put a price on the monorail system, but said work could start within two years.

"We have been co-ordinating with the Bahrain government over the last year and have been invited to give them our proposal," said Mr Kanesan, speaking from Mumbai, India.

"We are involved with designing and implementing the project and are now also on the lookout for a local partner.

"We have teams in place on the ground in Bahrain and are making substantial progress towards the project implementation."

The first phase of the project could constitute a 23km stretch of track linking some of the country's most congested areas, said sources.

Construction could begin in the first half of 2010 and the entire project measuring 83km could be completed by 2030, they added.

The Cabinet approved a plan to build a monorail network at the end of last month, but has approached Scomi to help it address the country's transportation problems as a technology partner.

Reports have suggested that Scomi was using its network as an oil and gas player in the Middle East to do the groundwork for monorail systems not only in Bahrain, but also in other countries of the region.

The Cabinet was told on September 28 that the Works Ministry had been commissioned to conduct an extensive feasibility study into the first phase of the project.

Cabinet Affairs Minister Shaikh Ahmed bin Ateyatala Al Khalifa earlier said the initiative stemmed from the government's resolve to decongest Bahrain's roads and pre-empt mounting traffic challenges.

He said under a suggested long-term strategy, Bahrain would use technology that has proved a success in countries facing similar traffic challenges.

Bahrain is also in the midst of a nationwide overhaul of its roads network, which is intended to help the country cope with a growing population, new infrastructure developments and the addition of 2,000 new cars to the roads every month.

Monorail idea is not new

With reference to the proposed monorail in Bahrain, I don't want to stand in the way of progress, nor rob the currently proposed monorail of its glory, but I must point out something.

The monorail is not a new idea, in fact it was in this newspaper that such an idea was written about way back in 1996 (25th December 1996).

Mohammed Al Asfoor outlined his plans for a monorail, and if I remember correctly, had all the plans in place.

A Bahraini with a view of the future, way back in 1996, I wonder what he thinks of the "new" monorail.

To give credit where credit is due, Mohammed, you were there first.

Canary Wharf Warbler

London UK

Monorail idea is not new

With reference to the proposed monorail in Bahrain, I don't want to stand in the way of progress, nor rob the currently proposed monorail of its glory, but I must point out something.

The monorail is not a new idea, in fact it was in this newspaper that such an idea was written about way back in 1996 (25th December 1996).

Mohammed Al Asfoor outlined his plans for a monorail, and if I remember correctly, had all the plans in place.

A Bahraini with a view of the future, way back in 1996, I wonder what he thinks of the "new" monorail.

To give credit where credit is due, Mohammed, you were there first.

Canary Wharf Warbler

London UK



your right Adel, he did mention the idea back in 1996 and if i remember correctly a lot of people found the idea amusing, they didnt take it seriously and only now people look for solutions when traffic gets out of hand. How typical.

Well hopefully the fact that Dubai has an already close to being operational monorail system developed, ppl will think its less 'amusing' as it is necessary/pragmatic/realistic..

المشروع الاستراتيجي ‬سيخفف ‬25%‬ ‬من الازدحامات المروري ‬
القطار الخفيف و»الترام*« ‬سينافسان السيارات ووسائل النقل التقليدي
كتب - ‬السيد مجيد الموسوي: ‬
توقع وكيل وزارة الأشغال المهندس نايف عمر الكلالي ‬إنجاز أول مشروع استراتيجي ‬مزدوج للقطار الخفيف والترام على ثلاث مراحل بين نهاية عام 2009‬و* ‬ينتهي ‬في2033‬، ‬لخدمة آلاف المواطنين من أجل تخفيف25% ‬٪ ‬من الازدحامات ‬المرورية في ‬العاصمة. ‬
وقال الكلالي ‬لـ »‬الأيام« ‬إن المشروع ‬يضمن بناء خطين رئيسيين ‬يخترقان أكثر المواقع ازدحاما في ‬المنامة؛ الأول قطار خفيف من الجفير صوب ضاحية السيف والثاني »‬ترام« ‬من مطار البحرين الدولي ‬إلى الضاحية ذاتها. ‬
ينبع هذا المشروع من دراسة استراتيجية وضعتها الوزارة بالتنسيق مع ائتلاف استشاري ‬فرنسي- ‬بريطاني ‬كان أوصى باعتماد القطار الخفيف والترام إلى جانب خط ثالث، ‬وهو الحافلات السريعة المفصولة عن الازدحامات المرورية، ‬والتي ‬تنتهي ‬بمنطقة البديع الشعبية، ‬شمالي ‬العاصمة. ‬
القطار الخفيف »‬الخط الأخضر« ‬سيخدم3000 ‬راكب ‬يوميا في ‬الاتجاه الواحد، ‬انطلاقا من الجفير مرورا بشارع الفاتح، ‬ثم منطقة المنامة وصولا إلى ضاحية السيف، ‬كبرى المناطق الدبلوماسية والتي ‬تضم مولات ضخمة وفنادق راقية. ‬أما خط »‬الترام« »‬الأحمر« ‬فسيخدم 6000 ‬راكب في ‬الاتجاه الواحد من مطار البحرين الدولي ‬إلى ضاحية السيف مرورا بالمنطقة الدبلوماسية، ‬حسبما أوضح وكيل وزارة الأشغال. ‬
ولم ‬يشأ الإفصاح عن التكلفة التقديرية للمشروع لأسباب »‬تتعلق بشروط المنافسة«‬، ‬كما لم* ‬يحدّد الجهة أو الجهات التي ‬ستمول المشروع الرائد من نوعه في ‬المملكة.‬
على أن الكلالي ‬أكد أن تعرفة تذاكر التنقل ستكون »‬منافسة« ‬لوسائط النقل التقليدية، ‬على أن تحدد لاحقاً ‬بعد دراسة تفصيلية، ‬وذلك لتشجيع السائقين على التنقل بواسطة هذه القطارات، ‬الرفيقة بالبيئة. ‬
‬وكان رئيس الوزراء أقر في ‬الاسبوع الماضي ‬مشروع إنشاء القطارات الخفيفة »‬المونوريل« ‬وفق خطة مرحلية ضمن مدى زمني ‬يأخذ في ‬الاعتبار التطورات والاحتياجات المستقبلية للمواصلات في ‬المملكة.‬
»‬وفي ‬حديثه أمس أوضح الكلالي ‬أن المشروع سينفذ على ثلاث مراحل؛ الأولى في ‬العام2009 - 2031‬و الثانية في ‬العام2016 - ‬وتنتهي ‬في ‬العام2030‬، ‬وسيسبق كل مرحلة دراسة تفصيلية وإعداد التصاميم والوثائق . ‬ومن المتوقع أن تستغرق عمليات التصميم والإنشاء أربع سنوات لخط الترام، ‬وست سنوات بالنسبة لخط القطار الخفيف المعلق (‬LRT)‬، ‬وكلا النظامين سيكون ذا جودة عالية ومجهزين بنظام تكييف وأقسام مستقلة لركاب الدرجة الأولى والعائلات. ‬وأكد الكلالي ‬أن الهدف الرئيسي ‬لمشروع القطار الخفيف هو الحد من مشكلة الازدحامات المرورية في ‬المنطقة إذ ستساهم في ‬تخفيف الازدحامات بنسبة 25%‬ ‬فضلا عن حماية البيئة، ‬توفير الوقود وتخفيض تكلفة صيانة السيارات الخاصة. ‬وذكر الكلالي ‬أن وزارة الأشغال أجرت دراسة استراتيجية ميدانية لقطاع النقل واحتياجاته المستقبلية، ‬بالتعاون مع ائتلاف »‬سيسترا إم في ‬أي« ‬الاستشاري، ‬الذي ‬يضم شركتي ‬سيسترا الفرنسية (‬SYSTRA) ‬و (‬MVA) ‬البريطانية. ‬الدراسة حدّدت ‬شبكة من ستة خطوط تربط بين جميع محافظات المملكة، ‬وأوصت بتنويع وسائل النقل، ‬بما في ‬ذلك مشروع القطارات الخفيفة المعلقة، ‬والحافلات السريعة المفصولة عن حركة السيارات، ‬وكذلك الترام الخفيف. ‬و سيتم ربط شبكة الخطوط المقترحة لتلتقي ‬عند نقطة الربط لمشروع جسر البحرين - ‬قطر قيد التجهيز حاليا، ‬وبالتالي ‬بالإمكان ربطه بشبكة القطارات المتصلة بسائر دول الخليج العربي.‬

تكليف (‬التخطيط العمراني) ‬بتحديد الأراضي ‬التي ‬ستسير عليها
شركة ماليزية تدرس بناء شبكة القطارات في ‬البحرين بمليار دولار
كتب - ‬محرر الشؤون المحلية:‬
ذكرت صحيفة ماليزية إن شركة سكومي ‬الهندسية الماليزية بصدد دخول البحرين بمشروع ترام ‬يسير على قضيب واحد (‬مونوريل) ‬قيمته ٤٦‬,‬٣ ‬مليار رنجيت (‬مليار دولار).‬
ونقلت صحيفة »‬بيزنس تايمز« ‬اليومية عن كانيسان فيلوبيلاي ‬النائب الأول لرئيس مجموعة سكومي ‬قوله: ‬شكلنا فريق عمل وبدأنا الأعمال والدراسات الأولية لتقرير مفصل عن المشروع. ‬
وكانت الوحدة الهندسية التابعة لمجموعة سكومي ‬الماليزية فازت الشهر الماضي ‬بعقد لبناء شبكة ترام مماثلة في ‬مومباي ‬الهندية.‬
وافادت الانباء ان ادارة التخطيط العمراني ‬بوزارة شؤون البلديات كلفت بتحديد الاراضي ‬التي ‬ستسير عليها القطارات.‬
وكان وكيل وزارة الاشغال المندس نايف الكلالي ‬قد توقع في ‬تصريحات لـ »‬الأيام« ‬ان ‬يتم انجاز المشروع على ثلاث مراحل في ‬الفترة مابين الاعوام ٩٠٠٢ ‬وحتى٣٣٠٢ ‬
وقال الكلالي ‬ان المرحلة الاولى من المشروع الاستراتيجي ‬تتضمن بناء خطين رئيسيين ‬يخترقان اكثر المواقع ازدحاما في ‬المنامة.. ‬الاول.. ‬قطار خفيف من الجفير باتجاه ضاحية السيف والثاني ‬من مطار البحرين باتجاه الضاحية نفسها.‬
وكانت دراسة استراتيجية وضعتها الوزارة بالتنسيق مع ائتلاف استشاري ‬فرنسي- ‬بريطاني- ‬أوصت باعتماد القطار الخفيف والترام إلى جانب خط ثالث، ‬وهي ‬الحافلات السريعة المفصولة عن الازدحامات المرورية والتي ‬تنتهي ‬بمنطقة البديع الشعبية، ‬شمالي ‬العاصمة.‬
وسيخدم القطار الخفي- ٠٠٠٣ - ‬راكب ‬يوميا في ‬الاتجاه الواحد انطلاقا من الجفير مرورا بشارع الفاتح، ‬ثم منطقة المنامة وصولا إلى ضاحية السيف، ‬كبرى المناطق الدبلوماسية والتي ‬تضم مجمعات ضخمة وفنادق راقية.‬
-‬أما خط - (‬الترام) ‬فسيخدم٠٠٠٦ ‬راكب في ‬الاتجاه الواحد من مطار البحرين الدولي ‬إلى ضاحية السيف مرورا بالمنطقة الدبلوماسية.‬
‬وكان رئيس الوزراء أقر في ‬الاسبوع الماضي ‬مشروع إنشاء القطارات الخفيفة »‬المونوريل« ‬وفق خطة مرحلية ضمن مدى زمني ‬يأخذ في ‬الاعتبار التطورات والاحتياجات المستقبلية للمواصلات في ‬المملكة.‬
ويكمن الهدف الرئيسي ‬لمشروع القطار الخفيف الحد من مشكلة الازدحامات المرورية في ‬المنطقة والتي ‬ستساهم في ‬تخفيف الازدحامات بنسبة٥٢‬٪ ‬فضلا عن حماية البيئة وتوفير الوقود وتخفيض تكلفة صيانة السيارات الخاصة.‬
وكانت دراسة استراتيجية ميدانية لقطاع النقل واحتياجاته المستقبلية حدّدت شبكة من ستة خطوط تربط بين جميع محافظات المملكة، ‬وأوصت بتنويع وسائل النقل، ‬بما في ‬ذلك مشروع القطارات الخفيفة المعلقة، ‬والحافلات السريعة المفصولة عن حركة السيارات، ‬وكذلك الترام الخفيف.‬

Gulf Rail route inside Bahrain adjusted to connect Industrial Areas, Airport, and Sh Khalifa Port.

ربطه بمواقع الاستيراد والتصدير والمناطق الصناعية
تعديل مسار خط سكة حديد «التعاون» مع البحرين

بحثت اللجنة الوطنية لمشروع الربط بالسكك الحديدية بين دول مجلس التعاون الخليجي واليمن، تعديل مسار خط السكة الحديد داخل البحرين.
وأوضح وكيل وزارة المواصلات الشيخ محمد بن خليفة بن علي آل خليفة، الذي ترأس الاجتماع أن ''اللجنة خرجت بمرئيات، ومتى ما تم الاتفاق عليها من قبل الأعضاء، سوف يتم رفعها إلى الأمانة العامة لمجلس الوزراء''.
ومن أهم هذه المرئيات، ربط المواقع الحيوية ذات الجدوى الاقتصادية مع خط السكة الحديد، تعديل مسار الخط داخل البحرين بحيث يربط مسار الخـط بمينـاء الشيخ خليفة بن سلمان ومطار البحرين والمناطق الصناعية، الاستفادة القصوى من مواقع الاستيراد والتصدير والمناطق الصناعية بالمملكة.
وكان الاجتماع، قد عقد إثر تلقي وزارة المواصلات خطاب من الأمين العام لمجلس الوزراء بالتباحث والخروج بمرئيات للجنة حول تعديل مسار خط السكة الحديد على أراضي البحرين بحيث يتم ربط الشبكة بالمواقع الحيوية للمملكة وهي مطار البحرين الدولي وميناء الشيخ خليفة بن سلمان والمناطق الصناعية لكي يتم الاستفادة القصوى من هذا الربط فيما يتعلق بالتصدير والاستيراد ونقل البضائع والمسافرين.
وضمت اللجنة في عضويتها كلا من وزارات المالية، الصناعة والتجارة، البلديات والزراعة، والهيئة العامة لحماية الثروة البحرية والبيئية والحياة الفطرية، المؤسسة العامة للموانئ البحرية، المساحة والتسجيل العقاري، الأشغال، الكهرباء والماء، الطيران المدني، الجمارك ومجلس التنمية الاقتصادية.

Monorail project is on track


MANAMA: Bahrain's monorail project will continue as planned despite the global financial crisis, said Works Minister and Minister in-charge of the Electricity and Water Authority Fahmi Al Jowder.

The ministry is in talks with a number of countries on ways to finance the project, he told our sister paper Akhbar Al Khaleej. Meanwhile, Bahrain Map junction will be opened in August, while Sitra Causeway and Umm Al Hassam junction are due to be inaugurated in March next year, he said.

im very happy with this news.

subhan allah, just a few days ago i was speaking with someone about Bahrain should be having a railway system in the country.

the roads are so packed these days that its unbelievable at times.

my idea was that Bahrain roads are too narrow to have a monorail system like the one in Dubai.
plus its very costly to have an underground system, it would require demolishing of so many homes, etc. plus im not very fond with an underground system. its dark, its disgusting, the view sucks and sometimes it could also be a health hazard.

light railway is the best way to go for bahrain, because it can go into many roads, etc. unlike monorails or heavy rapid transit, a tram or light train can enter narrow streets, it can cover the whole country, etc. so thats a good thing.

so here's what im thinking. bahrain can build a monorail in the main roads, or highways. like the road which goes from seef to manama and manama down to juffair. that can be built by monorails.

and then a tram can complement each monorail station by taking people inside the small, narrow neighbourhoods, like in adliya and salmaniya, etc.

the monorail in juffair can extend all the way down to umm al hasam / tubli, and all the way to salmabad industrial area. then it can go south to isa town, hammad town and finally to bahrain university / sakhir area. plus it can be linked with f1 BIC circuit.

as for muharraq. same thing. they can make a "ring" monorail track around the whole island, stopping in airport, amwaj, hammad port, etc. and then a small tram system complementing the monorail stations and taking people inside the small spaces. :)

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

overall... Im happy with bahrain's plans to build light railway and tramway transit system. im also happy theyre planing to build a monorail system.

i think its better than the 'boring' underground techniques others use.
1. its cheaper
2. its more efficient
3. it can run on the existing roads and needs no digging or demolishing.
4. as for monorails, it can be built on top of existing roads as well. no need for digging or demolishing.
5. undergrounds need proper ventilation and sometimes if not managed properly can turn into a health hazard.
6. plus, its SUPER for tourists. it can provide a good view and tour of the whole bahrain. the scenery is nice for light rails and trams, people can enjoy it as well as take advantage of it.

Oh, this monorail will take 20 yrs...

But thanks for ur input.. You seem to know ur way around Bahrain quite well..

This weekend.. OMG... all the Saudi's (And Kuwaitis and Qataris of course)...

Its soo za7ma... I think cuz they stayed away last weekend.. The formula one weekend... So all are coming back this weekend... LoL.. Crazy..

^yeah too much traffic... bas inshallah it will be cut by time they complete these urban transport systems. im personally more interested in reading about inter city or regional transportation projects, but this news was very exciting for me, and im sure very exciting for bahraini people.

only sad / unfortunate thing about this is that it will take 20 years!!!! my god!!!!
but in my opinion, this vision 2030 is very nice... i think bahrain in 2030 will look like a perfect utopia compared to the other countries around lol.

so inshallah by then, bahrain will have:
1. bahrain - qatar causeway (with bus/coach lines and railway companies operating between both countries), as well as private commercial vehicles and cargo trucks.
2. the gulf drive which will go from budaiya all the way to muharraq.
3. sheikh salman port expansion.
4. all the nice new man made islands completed. but inshallah theyll stop reclaiming more land after completing those... bas khala9 lol, they should know their limits! :D
5. airport expansion.
6. a central train station connecting bahrain to qatar, saudi arabia and other gcc countries
7. a tram system , light rail system and monorail system.

y3nee basically, bahrain by 2030 will be utlimate! real deal!
inshallah we'll all live to see it happen. :)

lol.. i made up the 20 yrs habibi...

But yeah, its planned longterm.. 10 yrs minimum..

^ah okay lol. at first i had a suspicion you were kidding about 20 yrs but after reading an arabic article above, i skimmed it quickly and saw the numbers 2030 lol... :lol:

^^ Work is planned to start on LRTS end of 2009. Two rail links linking Juffair to Seef via a Manama station and Bahrain Airport to Seef via Diplomatic Area should be ready end of 2013 if funding is secured. I think the world financial crises may delay that by 1-2 years if it doesn't ease up soon.

Bahrain's $8bn rail plan study seen in 2010
Trade Arabia
Dubai: 5 hours and 34 minutes ago


http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv327/el7omod330/rail.gif

Bahrain expects a study for its 3.06 billion Bahraini dinar ($8.12 billion) rail plan to be completed by September 2010 as the kingdom seeks to ease congestion, a ministry of works official said.

Bahrain envisages building the 184-km network in three phases by 2030, when the population is expected to double to 2 million, Kadhim Abdullatif, chief of traffic planning and studies at the ministry's roads and design directorate, told a railways conference in Dubai.

Gulf states are spending more than $100 billion on railway projects to ease congestion as they face poor public transport networks and growing populations, according to London-based Meed magazine.

These projects have provided major contracts for international companies. German railway operator Deutsche Bahn signed a deal last year to help design a multi-billion dollar rail network in Qatar that includes links to the Bahrain-Qatar Causeway, one of the world's longest bridges.

Bahrain's planned rail system will include a mix of light rail trains, monorails, trams and other systems. It will be linked to the Bahrain-Qatar Causeway, which will carry a railway as well as a road.

Bahrain's ministry of works is studying the options for financing the rail plan, including private sector participation, Abdullatif said. - Reuters

Hi guys,

This is really a good news for Bahrain specially because they seem to be ambitious about the carbon print of the network.

By the way, does anyone have a map of the future monorail and LRT lines? I've been trying to fin it for the last few hours but with no result.

thanks!

كلفة مشروع القطارات المحلية 3 مليارات دينار... ونحتاج 400 مليون لإنشاء طرق وجسور رئيسية

ذكر وزير الأشغال الوزير المشرف على هيئة الكهرباء والماء فهمي الجودر أن «التقديرات الأولية لإنشاء مشروع القطارات المحلية تشير إلى أن كلفة المشروع للخطوط الستة المزمع إنشاؤها، بالإضافة إلى المحطات وغيرها ستصل إلى 3 مليارات دينار، بينما ستصل كلفة المرحلة الأولى منه بحسب التقديرات والتي ستشمل الخطين الأحمر والأخضر نحو 453 مليون دينار»، آملاً أن «تبدأ العمليات التنفيذية للمشروع في منتصف العام 2010 ، وأن تسير سريعاً دون الاعتماد على النمط التقليدي».

القطار الخفيف (الخط الاخضر) سيخدم 3000 راكب يوميا في الاتجاة الواحد، وسينطلق من الجفير مرورا بشارع الفاتح ثم منطقة المنامة وصولا الي ضاحية السيف.

الترام (الخط الاحمر) يخدم 6000 راكب يوميا وينطلق من المطار مرورا بالمنطقة الدبلماسية وصولا الي ضاحية السيف

Work will start soon on two lines (Green & RED) out of the six lines which constitute the Bahrain Monorail System (LRT, Tram and Train Network).

The light rail (green line) will have a capacity of 3000 passengers each way. LRT will start from Juffair and pass through stations in Manama and the Diplomatic Area and will terminate in Seef District.

The Tram (red line) will have a capacity of 6000 passengers. Tram will start from Bahrain Airport and pass through Diplomatic Area and will terminate in Seef District.

Officials hope actual work will start mid 2010 and progress fast.

Good good.. I was afraid this would be one of those LONGGGGterm projects, where they make a one-time announcement/press-release about plans, followed by silence and nothingness...

This is encouraging.. Hope we hear more still..

Yeah at least we have an update now.

[\QUOTE]Work will start soon on two lines (Green & RED) out of the six lines which constitute the Bahrain Monorail System (LRT, Tram and Train Network).

The light rail (green line) will have a capacity of 3000 passengers each way. LRT will start from Juffair and pass through stations in Manama and the Diplomatic Area and will terminate in Seef District.

The Tram (red line) will have a capacity of 6000 passengers. Tram will start from Bahrain Airport and pass through Diplomatic Area and will terminate in Seef District.

Officials hope actual work will start mid 2010 and progress fast.[/QUOTE]

What about the Monorail lines? I remember reading a strategy in Vision 2030 to connect the monorail lines with more southern towns like Isa Town, Riffa and Sakhir...

Scomi Engineering is to design the plan
Taken from Arabian Business (Dec 2009)
Malaysia's Scomi Engineering is set to enter Bahrain with a monorail project worth $3.64 billion ringgit ($1 billion), a local daily said.

"We have established a project team and have commenced preliminary works and studies for a detailed project report," the Business Times newspaper quoted Scomi Group's senior vice president Kanesan Velupillai as saying.

Work will start soon on two lines (Green & RED) out of the six lines which constitute the Bahrain Monorail System (LRT, Tram and Train Network).

The light rail (green line) will have a capacity of 3000 passengers each way. LRT will start from Juffair and pass through stations in Manama and the Diplomatic Area and will terminate in Seef District.

The Tram (red line) will have a capacity of 6000 passengers. Tram will start from Bahrain Airport and pass through Diplomatic Area and will terminate in Seef District.

Officials hope actual work will start mid 2010 and progress fast.

What about the Monorail lines? I remember reading a strategy in Vision 2030 to connect the monorail lines with more southern towns like Isa Town, Riffa and Sakhir...

Scomi Engineering is to design the plan
Taken from Arabian Business (Dec 2009)
Malaysia's Scomi Engineering is set to enter Bahrain with a monorail project worth $3.64 billion ringgit ($1 billion), a local daily said.

"We have established a project team and have commenced preliminary works and studies for a detailed project report," the Business Times newspaper quoted Scomi Group's senior vice president Kanesan Velupillai as saying.[/QUOTE]

^^ These are 2 lines only from 6, there are 4 left and they will connect all major towns to the Monorail network.

ROADS-RAIL REVOLUTION
By REBECCA TORR, Posted on » Tuesday, May 26, 2009

http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/source/xxxii/067/images/Lpic1.jpg

MANAMA: Bahrain is to spend billions on a roads and rail revolution, bringing in rapid-transport networks and slashing fatalities on its highways. Blueprints include a 180km public transport network comprising light rail transit, a monorail, a tramway and rapid-transit buses.

Hi-tech traffic management equipment is being introduced, to cut fatal accidents on the roads by 30 per cent, within 10 years, it was revealed yesterday.

The monorail alone could cost BD3 billion and studies on how to finance it are already underway, with a completion target of 2030.

Speed radar, CCTV, message signs and a hi-tech traffic management centre will be brought in to cut fatalities on the roads, it was revealed as the Works Ministry released its annual report at a Press conference.

A total of 677 tenders and projects totalling BD256.9 million were issued by the ministry last year to create a world-class infrastructure in Bahrain, said Minister Fahmi Al Jowder.

Hope fully it will be connected with the Bahrain-Qatar friendship bridge, so from Doha to a hotel i am staying in directly by rail (dont mind if i have to change from light rail to monorail to tram =P)

I read a GDN article today that the phase 2 of the monorail study will be conducted in a few weeks. Also that Scomi will do a presentation on a variety of aspects for our monorail.
I cant find the article on the website...

On the wrong track...
Posted on » Monday, September 14, 2009

http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/NewsDetails.aspx?storyid=259761

I was somewhat amused the other day to see the pictures in the Press about the opening of the new Dubai Metro system.

This $7.5 billion project was launched amid a display of fireworks on the ninth day of the ninth month of the ninth year of the millennium.

What particularly amused me about the opening was that, with the exception of the Ruler of Dubai and a few other dignitaries, most of those who assembled for this historic event left the launch in their cars.

Now, from what I have read, it has attracted quite a few passengers in its first few days of operation and is being hailed as a marvel by the good people of that proud little Northern emirate.

It is indeed a remarkable first for this part of the world - so it is a shame that it will not work.

At least not in its current format.

Talk to anyone who has visited Dubai recently and they will tell you that the bad old days of two-hour traffic jams on the Shaikh Zayed Road are a thing of the past.

This may well be true, but it is more the result of accident than careful planning.

If the traffic is flowing a lot freer in Dubai's main thoroughfares these days, it has precious little to do with transport planning.

It is all down to the fact that with the global economic downturn and credit crisis hitting Dubai's economy far harder than anywhere else in the region, there are now far fewer cars on the road.

People have been packing their bags and heading home, leaving their leased cars and vehicles purchased on still outstanding bank loans parked at the airport.

This is largely because if you signal your plans to leave and can't pay off the car loan, you will be living in state-paid accommodation not of your choice for a considerable period of time.

And when you finally leave 'the debtors' jail, you will be deported.

But the important point worth noting here is that the only way you are going to deal with severe traffic congestion is by getting cars off the road.

Bahrain currently appears to believe that by digging up half the highways in the kingdom and constructing highly-expensive flyovers and underpasses the current traffic chaos can be solved.

It can't.

Look at any major urban conurbation that has set out to solve congestion by building more roads and what do you find.

You find that by the time the road system has been increased by 10 per cent the number of cars wanting to use it have increased by 20pc, or more.

The North Circular in London is a case in point.

By the time it was completed the opening ceremony should have been for a car park rather than a traffic congestion solution. On the North Circular, you can get passed by a tortoise.

It is time Bahrain took this into consideration when deciding where it goes next in traffic planning.

A monorail from the airport through Manama to the shopping complexes at Seef strikes me as a good idea, because most of the centre of Manama will be in walking distance of a station.

And a monorail that took people from the centre of Manama to Seef could wipe out thousands of cars that jam the roads between the two at peak shopping times.

But to actually get traffic out of the system you need an integrated flexible system and linear rail lines are not flexible.

Buses, on the other hand, are.

They do not require expensive infrastructure, they are flexible and can change or develop routes to meet changing demand.

And they are easy to develop in an integrated way that does not just move north to south.

Banning cars from coming into Manama from the causeway would be one major step in the right direction and would provide travellers to and from Saudi Arabia with little inconvenience, if a park-and-ride system was introduced.

But unfortunately that is unlikely to happen because planners are always far more interested in grand schemes rather than sensible solutions.

The Dubai Metro will be a great boon to people wanting to go skiing or shopping at the Mall of the Emirates.

But that is about it.

Because Dubai is now geographically quite a large built up metroplex and its new rail system might be quite good for folk who only want dropped off on the Shaikh Zayed Road.

If they want to get anywhere further - they will take their car like the people who turned up for the launch of the metro demonstrated.

BD3bn network on fast track...
By MANDEEP SINGH , Posted on » Tuesday, April 20, 2010

http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/source/xxxiii/031/images/Lpic3.jpg


WORK on Bahrain's new BD3 billion public transport network should start by the end of next year, it emerged yesterday. Ten consultants have now been shortlisted to complete a detailed feasibility study, which is expected to be ready by December next year, Works Ministry road planning and design director Huda Abdulla Fakhroo said.

She said work on the project would start immediately after studies were finished and the entire network would be completed by 2030.

The network, which consists of Light Rail Transport (LRT), a monorail, trams and a Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) system, will cover a total of 184.2km.

Early blueprints for the project were unveiled yesterday and Ms Fakhroo said work would be conducted in phases.

"We shall begin work on the BD453 million first phase, consisting of 24km of LRT and tram network, immediately after the studies are completed," she told delegates at the Middle East Rail Opportunities Conference 2010, which opened at the Gulf Hotel yesterday.

She explained the first phase will incorporate a 13km light rail track running from the Bahrain International Airport to Bahrain Mall and an 11km tramline running from Juffair to Bahrain Mall

The first phase is expected to be completed by 2014, after which work will begin on the BD1.5bn second phase," added Ms Fakhroo.

The second phase will feature a 72.7km network consisting of LRT, monorail and BRT and is expected to be completed by 2021, while the BD1.1bn third phase, slated to start in 2022 and finish by 2030, will also consist of an LRT, monorail, tram and BRT system.

"By then, the entire country will be covered by the network, which will significantly contribute towards easing congestion in Bahrain," she said.

The transport system will be divided into several transit lines, which have been allocated different colours depending on the route.

When the entire project is finished, the Red Line light rail system will start at the airport and run through Muharraq, Manama, past Bahrain Mall to Isa Town, then onto Riffa, the Qatar-Bahrain Friendship Causeway, Durrat Al Bahrain and the Hawar Islands.

The Green Line will feature a tramway from Juffair to Manama, then past the Pearl Roundabout, the Seef District, Bahrain Mall, Jidhafs and Budaiya.

A Brown Line will feature a light rail system running from Manama to Jidhafs, Salmabad, Hamad Town, Bahrain University and the Bahrain International Circuit.

The monorail Blue Line will connect Juffair, the Al Fateh Highway, Shaikh Isa bin Salman Causeway and the new Northern Town off the Budaiya coast.
The Purple Line bus route will begin at Bahrain University, Sakhir, and run through Hamad Town, Riffa and Sitra before ending in Manama.

The Orange Line (bus transport system) will begin from Hidd, pass along the Shaikh Hamad Highway, the Bahrain International Airport, King Faisal Highway and Diyar Al Muharraq," added Ms Fakhroo.

She said the new transport system was needed to cope with the country's growing population, which is expected to double to 2.3m by 2030.

"This project is clearly a challenge for the government and is central to the Vision 2030," added MS Fakhroo.

"The participation of the private sector will be vital in this entire exercise."

She revealed details of the massive project on the first day of the three-day conference organised by Fleming Gulf Conferences, which is focusing on developments in regional rail projects worth an estimated $100bn (BD38.7bn). mandeep@gdn.com.bh


http://i40.tinypic.com/fw3ha9.jpg

Salmaniya Medical Complex Station

http://i42.tinypic.com/rbmmmw.jpg

I wish we could get the Bahrain Transport map in color, since the lines are color coded! I checked the GDN and its black and white too!

Love the Salmaniya Medical Complex Station pic.. Love those trams, like the ones in Dublin, or Nice, or many other cities i guess..

But whats the difference between light rail and monorail.. Howcome we need both..? :)

2030 to me always seemed like just a slogain.. Anything anybody does.. Any big company project, they'll say we're working towards 2030, blablabl.. Its such bullshit.. But, at least now, its starting to become a little more concrete.. If/when these plans start to go ahead!

Hopefully they spend less on our defense budget next year, in the upcoming 2011-2012 budget, and spend more towards these projects.. So that they can get started according to schedule, without delays or problems in financing half way through...

from the article we know there will be a tram station in Salmaniya Hospital where the bus station is right now and another station in Bahrain Mall (Geant). From the map another station will be near the new Al Najma Club in Juffair.

Guys, buy a plot of land near these stations and build a building. Guaranteed rental, it will be the best investment you have ever made.

Any news at all ? its supposed to start in a year from now.

No.. I don't expect we'll hear anything anytime soon.. But there's a tiny chance we might when the new detailed budget for the next two yrs is out, and gets passed by parliament... This should happen within the next two months i guess..

http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/source/xxxiii/304/images/tram.jpg

WORK on Bahrain's first railway system could be underway by the end of next year, it was learnt yesterday.

A detailed study on the country's transport master plan has already started and should be completed within two years, Works Ministry road planning and design director Huda Abdulla Fakhroo told the GDN yesterday.

She revealed that if all went well, the first phase of the project - a railway line linking Bahrain Mall with Bahrain International Airport and another linking the mall with Juffair - could be finished by mid-2014.

"We could actually begin to see infrastructure development on the plan begin sometime in 2012," Ms Fakhroo said on the sidelines of the three-day Infrastructure Middle East Conferences and Exhibition 2011, which opened yesterday at the Gulf Convention Centre, Gulf Hotel, under the patronage of Works Minister Essam Khalaf.

Bahrain's entire rail network is set to be in place by 2030, by which time it would cover a distance of almost 200 kilometres.

Analysis

"The BD3 billion over-ground project will cover a total of 184.2km, with the BD453 million, 24km first phase set to begin immediately after the detailed study is completed," she explained.

Ms Fakhroo said the first phase of the rail network would take 12 to 18 months to complete, meaning it could be ready before the end of 2014 if work starts next year.

"This (first phase) project should take between 12 and 18 months to complete, after which work on the 72km, BD1.5bn second phase will begin," she added.

This second phase will consist of Light Rail Transport (LRT), a monorail and Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) and is due to be completed by 2021, while the BD1.1bn third phase - expected to start in 2022 and finish by 2030 - will consist of an LRT, monorail, tram and BRT system.

However, Ms Fakhroo revealed that the plan could be updated to include an underground rail network.

"We have already decided the transport master plan will consist of a light rail transport, a tramway, bus rapid transport and a monorail, but we also now plan to look at this (subway system)," she said. "We will get a cost benefit analysis done for the underground system."

The new rail network, along with an accompanying bus system, is intended to tackle chronic traffic congestion in Bahrain - where the population is expected to double to 2.3m by 2030.

Ms Fakhroo earlier said the transport system would be divided into transit lines, which have been allocated different colours depending on the route.

She said when the entire project is finished, the Red Line light rail system would start at the airport and run through Muharraq, Manama, past Bahrain Mall to Isa Town, then onto Riffa, the Qatar-Bahrain Friendship Causeway, Durrat Al Bahrain and the Hawar Islands.

The Green Line will feature a tramway from Juffair to Manama, going past the Pearl Roundabout, the Seef District, Bahrain Mall, Jidhafs and Budaiya.

A Brown Line will feature a light rail system running from Manama to Jidhafs, Salmabad, Hamad Town, Bahrain University and the Bahrain International Circuit.

Meanwhile, the monorail Blue Line will connect Juffair, the Al Fateh Highway, Shaikh Isa bin Salman Causeway and the new Northern Town off the Budaiya coast.

The Purple Line bus route will begin at Bahrain University, Sakhir, and run through Hamad Town, Riffa and Sitra before ending in Manama.

The Orange Line is a bus transport system beginning in Hidd, passing along the Shaikh Hamad Highway, past Bahrain International Airport and the King Faisal Highway before reaching Diyar Al Muharraq.

Gulf daily news.
mandeep@gdn.com.bh

Any word on this ?

It's good to dream. Sadly, the Bahrain government doesn't have the ambition, let alone the budget, to follow through with a project of this size. Needs too much long term commitment.

Any updates on this?