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The Iraqi Development Fund (IDF) has prepared a new comprehensive study for the commencement of the Baghdad Metro project, its chief has said.
The 36-point study was needed because the project was launched prematurely without completing the necessary technical and demographic studies, the Fund's Executive Director, Mohammed al-Najjar, told the official daily Al-Sabah.
He explained that these studies encompass demographic aspects, transportation routes, and other strategic axes, noting that previously, the project was viewed more from an engineering perspective than as a strategic one.
Al-Najjar stressed that implementation cannot begin until 18 months after the completion of these studies, given the project's potential to alter population movement and business patterns in the capital.
Al-Najjar had said in January that Baghdad is moving to fundamentally redesign the long-delayed Baghdad Metro project, shifting to an integrated public transport network that combines ground-level, elevated and underground routes.
Under the new design, metro routes will be tailored to the Iraqi capital’s geography and congestion levels, he said, adding that ground-level tracks are estimated to cost $20–30 million per kilometre and elevated lines $50–70 million per kilometre.
Underground tunnels – an option retained for densely congested centres —would cost around $200 million per kilometre, Al-Najjar said.
Earlier proposals relied heavily on underground construction, making them economically unviable, he added.
In July last year, a Zawya Projects report said the Iraqi government was reassessing the financial framework for the project after previous proposals were rejected.
MP Mona al-Muhammadawi said the metro project is a strategic solution to the Capital's traffic congestion, emphasising that its success requires a clear vision, stable funding, and serious implementation procedures, along with adherence to timelines and transparency at all stages of contracting and execution to ensure its success.
(Writing by N Saeed; Editing by Anoop Menon)
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