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Article: Gulf rail resurgence gathers pace: across the Arabian Peninsula, governments are formulating ambitious plans for new railways. Keith Barrow looks at recent developments in this region, which is rapidly becoming a focal point for the rail industry.(Middle East)
- Article from:
- International Railway Journal
- Article date:
- October 1, 2008
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2008 Simmons-Boardman Publishing Corporation. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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IN less than a year's time, the opening of the first line of the Dubai metro will usher in the start of a new era for railways on the Arabian peninsula. The initial phase of Dubai's ambitious 318km automatic metro will be followed by metro projects in Kuwait and Abu Dhabi, while heavy rail networks are planned in Qatar, Kuwait, and Oman. Saudi Arabia is embarking on a massive expansion of its network with new high-speed, heavy-haul and mixed traffic railways at an advanced stage of planning.
Phase One of Dubai metro is being built at a cost of Dirhams 15 billion ($US 4 billion), and consists of two lines which together form one of ...