New rail system in Arabia?

[george matthews]

http://www.menafn.com/qn_news_story_s.asp?StoryId=59012

(MENAFN) A railway system linking the UAE, Oman, Qatar and Bahrain could be in place within three years, Gulf Times newspaper reported.
An official at the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) said that a European firm has come up with a plan for the proposed railway project.
A feasibility study will be undertaken for the building of a railway system to transport passengers and goods between GCC countries with the aim of promoting better trade relations among the member countries.<<

Three years sounds a bit soon for such a project, but no doubt they don't have to buy much land. But designing a railway in the desert is not easy. I wonder what sort of system they are planning? Unless it is linked to Iraq across Saudi there is not likely to be much freight.

[george matthews]

More on this topic

http://dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edi ... le_id=7427

BEIRUT: Earlier this year when a feasibility study to build a multi-billion dollar Mideast Railway System connecting the entire Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region to European and Asian rail networks was reportedly completed, one question emerged: are the Arabs really serious about venturing into such a vast undertaking?
In a region where most counties' rail systems are either out of service and rotting away (as in Lebanon), or haven't undergone any genuine modernization since the departure of the colonial powers, it seems strange that people have suddenly started talking about building new regional lines and connecting them to the highly advanced European network via Turkey.