Oman’s Supreme Committee for Town Planning has extended to 14 June the submission date for prequalification documents for consultancy work for the national Batinah railway project.

In April Muscat invited firms to prequalify for the design and project management contracts by 31 May (MEED 14:4:10).

Companies have now submitted prequalification documents for the design contract only. The deadline for companies to submit prequalification documents has been extended to give companies more time to prepare.

The railway project will be constructed in three phases. The first phase will comprise a 230-kilometre line that runs from Sohar to Muscat. The second phase will involve building a 560km line running from Muscat to Duqm. Oman may then decide to extend the line to Salalah, which would involve building a 580km track.

Later plans may also see the railway extend into Muscat city itself. If this plans goes ahead, it would would involve building a metro system in the capital.

France’s Systra and the local National Engineering Office have carried out the feasibility study for the project.

When Oman’s national railway network is complete, it will form part of the wider GCC railway network.