The GCC countries have agreed to pursue individually their segment of the pan-GCC railway system, hoped to be operational by 2019 , said Kuwaiti undersecretary of the ministry of communications Abdulmuhsen Al-Mazidi said on Tuesday.

In statements to KUNA on the sidelines of a GCC meeting for communications officials, Al-Mazidi Kuwait has already signed a KD two-million contract with an international consulting firm, which will conclude in 16 months a feasibility study on Kuwait’s portion of this GCC railway system.

These officials (i.e. ministry undersecretaries) have agreed, among other things, on the path of the railway line linking several GCC states, and the various station points along the way, he said.

No choice of whether the trains used for the railway will be electric or diesel-fueled has been determined yet, he said, noting that the railway tracks will be stretching from Kuwait to Oman, running through several GCC states, and connecting with the Yemeni border.

Concomitant with building the railway tracks in Kuwait, a subway system will also be constructed, said the Kuwaiti official, indicating that at some designated points, the two systems will overlap. The subway is expected to be operational in its initial phase in 2017.

From five to seven companies will be awarded contracts to build the four-line subway system, which will fundamentally link the governorate of Jahra with that of Ahmadi, he said.

When all is done, both the railway and the subway systems are expected to give Kuwait added economic advantages by stimulating the transportation sector, increasing travel and tourism, as well as commercial activity. - Arab Times