Oman’s Transport & Communications Ministry has awarded a $149m project management consultancy (PMC) contract for the sultanate’s national railway project to a consortium led by Spain’s Tecnicas Reunidas.

The consortium will work alongside Oman Railway Company as part of an integrated project management team for sector A of the project.

The management deal is for the Sohar-Buraimi line, for which the main construction package is currently out for tender.

The work involves a complete review of the preliminary design work of the rail network and overseeing contract processes, as well as construction supervision for the duration of work on sector A.

Sector A is a 127-kilometre line linking Sohar to the Oman/UAE border at Buraimi and Khatmat Malaha. It includes two 2.9km-long tunnels, two 330-metre 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.

On 18 January, MEED reported that Oman Railway Company had received technical bids for the first design-and-build package of the national railway network, with commercial bids due to be submitted on 1 March.

Oman Railway Company is also tendering the railway’s systems and technology. The firms prequlaified for the technology and systems are:

• Ansaldo (Italy)
• Bombardier (Canada)
• Siemens (Germany)
• Thales (France)
• Alstom (France)

Oman’s overall rail network involves the construction of a 2,244km network that will ultimately connect the sultanate’s major ports and cities, including Muscat, Sohar, Duqm and Salalah, in addition to linking with the UAE’s Etihad Railway project.