Oman Considers Options on How to Run Rail Network

Oman’s Director of Rail Project, Ministry of Transport and Communications Abdulrahman Salem al Hatmi has announced the Sultanate is considering three options as to how to run the new railway network in the country.

It is projected that the new passenger and freight network could carry as much as 80 million tonnes of freight once fully operational, and if it can siphon off sea trade through the Strait of Hormuz, this figure could be substantially higher.

The three options on the table is for the Sultanate to run the network itself, to partner with an internationally established rail operator to do this for them (which would bring experience and knowledge to the table) or to allow a rail operator to run it in entirety under a concession agreement.

The Ministry is looking at all three options with a view to best exploiting the opportunities presented by building such a network in light of how it could maximise the benefit to the Sultanate’s economy and citizens.

When complete the network will link ports at both sides of the Strait of Hormuz and the Yemeni border with that of the UAE.