Bahrain expects to tender the contract for its light rail project as soon as the study is completed by Spain’s Idom Consulting Engineering Architecture within the first half of 2017.

“They want to implement the project urgently and will skip the prequalification process,” sources familiar with the project tell MEED.

The light rail project will be implemented using a build-operate-transfer (BOT) scheme.

Consortiums that will bid for the project are expected to comprise developers, civil engineering contractors, rolling stock suppliers as well as investment and financing companies.

The study is expected to be completed in March.

If successfully procured as a BOT, Bahrain’s light rail network it will be the first non-state funded rail project in the GCC.

Idom is undertaking the required studies and architectural design for the project whose initial phase will cover 25 kilometres with a passenger capacity of 8,000 to 10,000 an hour in each direction.

Based on these studies, the consultant will be reviewing and identifying the best routes and drawing plans and designs including the network development phases, routes, specification and technology. Idom will also prepare the request for proposal (RFP) documents, which will set the minimum functional requirement for the first phase of the network.