Bahrain’s Ministry of Transportation and Telecommunications (MTT) has begun procurement for a public-private partnership scheme for a 109km urban rail transit network, Gulf Business reports.Â
MTT plans to host a "Global Market Virtual Sounding Forum" for international construction companies in the first week of March. This will be followed by the issuing of a global tender and bidding process, to be overseen by KPMG.
The Bahrain Metro, which will have a construction value of up to $2bn, will have four lines, developed in phases.
Phase one will be made up of two lines, the red and the blue, with an estimated length of 28.6km. These will include 20 stations with two interchanges and will link Bahrain International Airport as well as major residential areas, commercial areas and school districts.
Kamal bin Ahmed Mohamed, Bahrain’s transport minister, commented: "Through the Bahrain Metro project, MTT aspires to apply the latest technology that is up to international standards. This marks a milestone as it will improve the quality of life of citizens by providing a fast, comfortable, reliable and sustainable transportation system in the kingdom of Bahrain."
The project was first announced in 2008, with construction planned to start in 2009. However, the project was delayed by the global financial crash. The project moved ahead in 2018 after Bilbao-based consultancy IDOM completed a feasibility study to the MTT.
Image: The first phase of the metro project will link Bahrain airport to the island’s main residential areas (Christophe Tausch/Dreamstime)
Further reading:
