Bahrain’s monorail network project is “steadily” progressing with plans to link it to the country’s main seaport, confirmed a top government official.

The light rail network connection with Khalifa Bin Salman Port (KBSP) has the strategic objective of making Bahrain a cargo transit hub for the Northern Gulf.

However, there is no timescale for project completion and the regional economic climate remains a challenge, said Transportation and Telecommunication Ministry port affairs assistant under-secretary Bader Al Mahmood.

“The proposed monorail network project is part of our strategy in line with Bahrain’s Economic Vision 2030 and we are working with our partners, the Land Transportation department, for the rail link to reach KBSP,” Mr Al Mahmood told the GDN.

“This will really boost efficiency of the port by helping in fast linking with other GCC countries.

“It will also help KBSP be a hub for other GCC countries in the Northern Gulf region.

“Though we don’t have a time frame yet as to when we will have the rail established, we are steadily working on it.

“The challenge is the economic situation overall and KBSP is facing challenges on how to attract transshipments to Bahrain.”

A study on Bahrain’s rail network was due to be completed by the end of last year.

Last May it emerged that Spanish firm IDOM Consulting, Engineering and Architecture had been selected from nine bidders to complete the study and present detailed plans.

At the time Transportation and Telecommunication Minister Kamal Ahmed told parliament that preliminary studies on a rail link connecting Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, via the new King Hamad Causeway, were already finished.

Bahrain’s nationwide monorail network was first proposed and approved by the Cabinet in 2008, but stalled shortly afterwards due to the global financial crisis.

On October 6, 2015 new bids for the construction of a light rail network comprising 22km of elevated double track with 19 stations and an initial capacity to handle 8,000 passengers were invited by the Tender Board, as part of Bahrain’s section of a pan-GCC railway.

The rail connection between Bahrain and Saudi Arabia should help reduce traffic congestion at the border.

However, other measures are also being adopted to ease vehicle procedures.

Improvement

“The Customs Department at the ministry is working hard on the issues that we face at the causeway, which will impact the situation at the KBSP as well,” said Mr Al Mahmood.

“The positive thing is that the situation at KBSP is much better than before, which shows that things are easing up at the causeway.

“The waiting time at the KBSP has been minimised to the lowest ever of late – which is within 10 hours (of arriving) trucks can move to Saudi Arabia.

“This is definitely helping KBSP reach its objective, which is to link with Saudi Arabia and to attract more transshipment cargo – which is cargo send via Bahrain to other places, especially the Northern Gulf.”

That is a stark improvement from last April, when vehicles lined both sides of the road leading to KBSP – waiting at least five days before being cleared to move.

Expansion

The situation is expected to improve further, with an expansion of the King Fahad Causeway due for completion in April.

This includes an increase in the number of passport lanes from 17 to 37, plus nine lanes to collect fees – six manned by staff and three offering electronic services.

Two extra lanes will continue to be allocated for trucks, while one-stop procedures – where drivers will have to stop at just one booth for passport control, vehicle clearance and Customs – are due to be introduced this summer.

Drivers going to Saudi Arabia will only have to go through Saudi formalities, while those heading to Bahrain will require only Bahraini clearance.

Currently drivers have to complete Bahraini and Saudi formalities, which often results in congestion at busy times.

raji@gdn.com.bh

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