Five groups bidding for the contract to build the first phase of Oman’s rail network have passed the technical evaluation stage.

The five groups are understood to be:

• Larsen & Toubro (India) / FCC Construction (Spain) / Khalid Bin Ahmed & Sons (local)
• Salini Impregilo (Italy)
• China State Construction Engineering Corporation (China) / SK E&C (South Korea)
• Porr Bau (Austria) / Yuksel Insaat (Turkey) / Sarooj Construction Company (local) / Daewoo(South Korea)
• Saipem(Italy) / Rizzani de Eccher (Italy) / Dogus Insaat (Turkey)

The project client, Oman Rail, will meet with the five bidders on 30 April to discuss pricing. The rail company received commercial submissions from 11 consortiums on 1 March, having received technical bids on 18 January.

The three packages make up the first sector to be tendered; a 207-kilometre stretch from Sohar to Buraimi, of double-track, mixed freight and passenger non-electrified railway line.

Sector A stretches 127km, linking Sohar to the Oman/UAE boarder at Al-Buraimi and Al-Milahah. It includes two 2.94km-long tunnels, two 0.33km-long cut and cover sections, and 51 viaduct sections totalling 16.7km. For buildings, there are three stations, one depot, one maintenance facility, four freight terminals and three maintenance centres.

Sector B is 34km long, linking Sector A with Al-Buraimi station. It has two 1.86km-long tunnel sections and nine viaduct sections totalling 6km. For buildings, there are two stations, one maintenance facility, and two freight terminals.

Sector C links Sector A to the Port of Sohar over a distance of 38km. It will have eight viaduct sections totalling 3.1km, one depot and two freight terminals.

There will also be 8km of junctions linking Sector A to Sectors B and C with four viaduct sections totalling 1.9km.

A consortium led by Spanish Tecnicas Reunidas won the $149m project management contract for Sector A.