Trans-Gulf train travel will be 'as easy as taking a plane', says senior rail official

Passengers will be able to travel by train across the Gulf region without stopping at borders by late 2030.

The highly anticipated rail service across the entire Gulf region is on track to open by December 2030, senior officials told The National at the Global Rail conference, taking place this week in Abu Dhabi. The project spans almost 2,120km through the six Gulf countries, connecting Kuwait and Oman.

The rail route will pass through Saudi Arabia and continue to Bahrain. The Saudi line will be linked to Doha, and then continue through the UAE's Etihad Rail network and across the country to eventually reach the Omani capital Muscat.

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“We are expecting all of the member states to start operations by December 2030. The GCC Railway Authority is following up with all member states to make sure that we are following the deadline set by the ministerial council,” said Nasser AlQahtani, interoperability director at the GCC Railways Authority. “The progress here is advancing, either in the design phase or the construction phase, or some of the part of the project is under operation.”

Express services

Mr AlQahtani said the border crossings would be seamless and “follow the best practices in the world”.

This means there will be no stops at borders with immigration checks taking place before boarding. “Of course, border stopping is not on the map. Railway everywhere in the world works on origin-destination. GCC member states and stakeholders are co-operating for success and support in this approach,” he said.

This would mean that no border stops can be expected, and immigration will be cleared before boarding the train.

Construction on the line to connect the UAE and Oman – a project known as Hafeet Rail – has begun. This is scheduled to open in the next three years.

Like taking a plane

“From a passenger point of view, we are still working out the details, but we expect it to be similar to getting on a plane. So you show your passport at one end and again at the other,” said John Steventon, business development and sales director at Hafeet Rail.

Hafeet Rail has made significant progress in construction, as chief executive Ahmed Al Musawa Al Hashemi shared in an update at the Global Rail conference.

“We have initiated all project packages, from detailed design to civil works, on-ground earthworks, facilities work initiation, rolling stock manufacturing, and rail delivery to the site,” he said.

“In numbers, that translates to five million cubic metres of excavation completed in just one year, 3.3 million cubic metres of fill and embankment placed, 21 bridges under construction, two tunnels initiated, 2,500 machines mobilised on the ground, and more than two million safe man-hours achieved.”

Hafeet Rail's main focus is on enhancing freight operations between the two countries. One train, with a 15,000 tonne capacity, is the equivalent of taking 130 full lorries off the road. While the current engines are diesel, the goal is to be more sustainable in the future.

“All of the fleet is future-scoped to move to electric. So should the infrastructure for electric be there in the future, then we can convert the existing kit,” Mr Steventon said.

Mr AlQahtani spoke of the project's goals, saying they are “to strengthen the bonds between the people of the GCC, connecting the different communities since they are very similar and close to each other”.

“Of course it will contribute to economic and trade [development] between the GCC and help diversify the transportation mode between the GCC and beyond because it is not about connecting the GCC. The long-run plan is to connect the GCC with the world.”