GCC 장거리 철도프로젝트, 2021년으로 공기연장 GCC railway completion date pushed back to 2021
GCC railway completion date pushed back to 2021
GCC Long distance railway network. source railwaypro.com
GCC 6개국을 연결하는 2,117km 장거리 철도네크워크 프로젝트의 공기가 결국 3년 연장됐다.
그간 저유가 쇼크로 인한 재원 문제로 프로젝트가 잠시 중단된 바 있으며
GCC리더는 공사완 완료 시기를 2021년 까지 연장하는데 동의했다고 에미리트 당국자가 밝혔다.
사우디와 인접한 UAE의 1단계 구간 143km은 작년 여름에 발주됐지만 곧 보류되고 말았다.
GCC국가들의 저유가 여파는 그만큼 큰 것이었다.
황기철 콘페이퍼 에디터
ki chul, hwang conpaper editor
by Kim Kemp on Oct 6, 2016
The construction timeline for the 2,117km-long GCC Railway Network has been pushed back by three years.
According to a senior Emirati official, GCC leaders have agreed to a new ‘ceiling’ of 2021 to complete the project.
The UAE’s Minister of Infrastructure and Development, Abdullah bin Mohammed Belhaif Al Nuaimi, told reporters about the extended deadline, Gulf News reported.
Questioned on whether the oil price drop had influenced the decision to extend the construction timeline, Al Nuaimi responded: “I wouldn’t say no.”
In reference to a gathering of GCC leaders held in April 2016, Al Nuami added: “The objective of that meeting was to get greater coherence in terms of where each of the GCC states are in terms of the implementation of the project. It makes no sense to build your network if everyone else is several years from being able to launch it.”
The first phase of Qatar’s portion of the GCC Railway Network comprises a 143km rail line to its border with Saudi Arabia.
Although Qatar Rail floated tenders for a company to oversee the project last summer, it was later put on hold.
Speaking to Doha News in March 2016, Qatar Rail’s managing director, Abdulla Al Subaie, said that Qatar was waiting for its GCC neighbours to commence work.
“From our side, as Qatar Rail, we are ready. We need other GCC countries to start the work in order to be able to start our contract,” he said.
Ultimately, the long-distance railway network will form a passenger and freight route linking all six Gulf states.
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