Omani Rail Network - An Industry in its Own Right

At a conference last week at Al Bustan Palace hotel in Muscat, delegates heard just how much has to be done to enact Oman’s railway revolution. Quarries need digging, foundries need opening, factories need to be built, as well as the basic need to lay the sleepers and rails which will require thousands of skilled labourers in its own right.

To build 2500 km of rail network, the country will need 12000 km of rails. 10 million concrete sleepers need to be made just to install the track. The country has not got the ability to make sleepers in this quantity at present, yet it will be financially viable to build factories and foundries on site.

Where the locomotives will be imported, stone from 10 quarries will be required to dig the ballast. The stone needs crushing so the Sultanate needs the wherewithal to crush the rock.

These examples show the sheer scale of the project at hand. Just building the rail network will create a large demand for industry in the country, never mind the opportunities that come with having a far better transport infrastructure. Oman’s future looks bright with the new age of rail.