Kuwait Authority for Partnership Projects (KAPP) intends to issue an expression of interest (EoI) for the Kuwait National Rail Road project in the first quarter of 2017, according to Fatima al-Kandari, project manager at KAPP.

KAPP is already in the process of hiring transaction, financial, legal and technical advisers.

The Public Authority for Road Transport (Part) project consists of six packages. The first two are structured as public-private partnerships (PPPs). 

They are:

• Civil works – design, build, finance, and major maintenance of all infrastructure works. The public joint stock project company will have to hold an initial public offering (IPO) in accordance with Kuwait’s PPP law.
• Track, rail system and a passenger station in Kuwait City – design, build, finance, and maintenance structure. The public joint stock project company will have to hold an IPO in accordance with Kuwait’s PPP law.
• Passenger train operating company – operations and maintenance under a services contract
• Freight train operating company – operations and maintenance under a services contract
• Programme manager – responsible for delivery and managing interfacing
• Rolling stock – this may be purchased by the Kuwaiti government or the GCC rail authority, depending on joint GCC decisions

The National Rail Road project will cover 265 kilometres. The first 111km will stretch from the Saudi border at Nuaseeb, to Kuwait City where there will be a passenger station. It will be a superior service, with six passenger services a day. The system will require 10 trains, with a maximum speed of 220 kilometres an hour (km/h).

A freight line will contiue to Boubyan Port, with only standard service. KAPP expects to run three freight trains a day from the Saudi border to the capital, and two trains a day to Boubyan. They will allow bulk and containers, and run at between 80 and 120 km/h.