A proposal to build a 90km railway link between Bahrain and Saudi Arabia is expected to cost around $4.2 billion, industry analysts said, as private sector companies met in Bahrain on Feb. 14 with the government about the plan. Discussions concluded Wednesday with the recommendations, an action plan and resolutions for decision-makers in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia to mandate the way forward. The rail link will start in Kuwait and pass by the eastern Saudi city of Dammam, connecting with Bahrain through a bridge parallel to King Fahad Causeway before reaching Qatar via Salwa. Another line will connect Bahrain with the UAE through Bathaa. The railway line will also run through Abu Dhabi and Al Ain to reach Oman through Sahar and Muscat and connect Qatar and Bahrain through a bridge. It will be part of a $25 billion railway project, which will link Bahrain and the other GCC countries through a 2,117km network. Land acquisition has been estimated to cost $3.1 billion and the cost of purchasing locomotives is pegged at $1.8 billion.
