Oman's USD155m rail design project attracts interest

(MENAFN) An Omani tender board official unveiled that nine international companies or groups have expressed their interest in Oman's USD155 million design and consult on the construction of Oman's planned railway project, Reuters reported. The official also said that the tender board has set a new deadline on October 5 to submit bids. Bids had originally been due to be submitted in July. The groups include Denmark's COWI, US-based DBI and AECOM, French SYSTRA, US-based Parsons, UK's Mott MacDonald, a consortium of Italy's Italferr and Aussie Worsely Parsons, China Railway Company, French Egis Rail, the Pointec group and a consortium of Korea Rail and the Hyundai group, according to the official. Oman plans to build a 1,000 km railway, running from the northern border town of Buraimi to the southern city of Salalah, at an estimated cost of around USD13 billion, with completion in 2018.