Editing Transport in Oman (section)

===Timeline===
;2008

Joint [[Gulf Railway]] proposed to link gulf states at cost of $14 billion by 2014.<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://railwaysafrica.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3587&Itemid=37 |title = Railways Africa}}</ref>

;2010
Bids are invited for construction of a rail network in three phases: The first phase would be a double-track electrified coastal route from [[Muscat|Masqat]] to [[Sohar|Suhar]]; the second phase would be an extension from Masqat to Daq; the third phase an extension from Suhar to [[Al Ain]] in the UAE.<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/single-view/view/10/news-in-brief-34/browse/9.html
|access-date=2010-07-20
|title=Railway Gazette: News in Brief
|quote=Suhar to Al-Ayn in UAE
|archive-date=2019-07-13
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190713125340/https://www.railwaygazette.com/news/single-view/view/news-in-brief-34/browse/9.html
|url-status=dead
}}</ref> Later, an extension to [[Salalah]] was considered. The construction was expected to start in 2012, and to be completed by 2018.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.constructionweekonline.com/projects-tenders/article-9149-oman-officials-announce-further-rail-project-plans|title=Oman officials announce further rail project plans|date=August 8, 2010|website=Construction Week|access-date=2021-10-11}}</ref>

;2011

In September, the Supreme Committee for Town Planning, which was in charge of the project since the beginning, handed it to the Ministry of Transport and Communications (MOTC). Shortly, the Ministry of Transport began preparing for launching initial tenders for project design and consultancy.<ref>{{Citation|title=Unwin, Sir Raymond, (2 Nov. 1863–1940), late Chief Technical Officer for Building and Town Planning. Ministry of Health|date=2007-12-01|url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.u218445|work=Who Was Who|publisher=Oxford University Press|doi=10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.u218445|access-date=2021-10-09}}</ref>

;2012

In September, the Ministry of Transport and Communications, through the Government Tender Board, announced it will re-float its tender for the first phase into three stages: one to get the preliminary design, another for the detailed design and building, and third for the management consultancy and supervision services.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.constructionweekonline.com/projects-tenders/article-18475-oman-rail-project-retendered-as-three-packages|title= Oman rail project retendered as three packages|date=September 11, 2012|website=Construction Week}}</ref>
;2013

In March, the Ministry of Transport announced the opening of a tender for the preliminary design of nine freight yards for the first phase of the project. The largest yards, at Sohar and Duqm, are planned at either end of the network, as they will be intended to manage the freight volumes handled by the industrial ports at those sites.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.constructionweekonline.com/projects-tenders/article-21209-oman-tenders-nine-gcc-rail-network-freight-yards|title=Oman tenders nine GCC rail network freight yards |date=March 4, 2014|website=Construction Week}}</ref> In July, through assistance from German company Dorsch-Gruppe, the Government Tender Board opened the competition for the first stage with a 13.6 million Omani riyals (US$35.3 million) contract that covers preliminary design consultancy services, which was awarded to Italian company Italferr.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2014-02-06|title=Oman signs $35 mln railway consultancy deal with Italferr - ONA|language=en|work=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/oman-rail-idUKL5N0LB1QY20140206|access-date=2021-10-10}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Oman's great transformation: expanding rail networks to form ME transportation hub|url=https://www.albawaba.com/business/oman-railway-network-project-508134|date=July 21, 2013|access-date=2021-10-09|website=[[Al Bawaba]]|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=railwaysignalling.eu|date=2014-02-10|title=Italferr wins the bid for Oman's rail project|url=https://www.railwaysignalling.eu/italferr-win-omans-rail-project|access-date=2021-10-08|website=railwaysignalling.eu|language=en-US}}</ref>

In September, Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Futaisi, the Omani Minister of Transport and Communications, asked private companies to think about investing in the railway project.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Introduction of railway in Oman is keenly awaited|url=https://www.albawaba.com/eintroduction-railway-oman-keenly-awaited-408965|access-date=2021-10-09|website=[[Al Bawaba]]|language=en}}</ref> At this point, the project was reported to have created 70,000 new jobs in the Sultanate.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.constructionweekonline.com/projects-tenders/article-21341-oman-railway-to-create-70000-jobs-report|title= Oman railway to create 70,000 jobs: report |date=March 11, 2013|website=Construction Week}}</ref>

;2014

In 2014, [[Oman Rail]] announced a pre-qualification tender for the initial stage of the network, which includes providing infrastructure technology systems and the construction of the first section that extends from Oman's border to Al Buraimi, UAE, to the port of Sohar. The cost of this stage was estimated at $2.6 billion, out of the estimated total cost of $14 billion.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2014-03-05|title=Oman's rail project on track|url=https://oxfordbusinessgroup.com/news/oman%E2%80%99s-rail-project-track|access-date=2021-10-08|website=Oxford Business Group|language=en}}</ref> The first phase was supposed to include a 242-km line from Al Misfah in Muscat to [[SOHAR Port and Freezone|Sohar Port]], with a 20-km link to Muscat Central Station and an 8-km spur to a railway yard at [[Sohar]]. There is also a 486-km line from Muscat to [[Al Duqm Port & Drydock|Duqm Port]] and 84&nbsp;km between [[Sinaw]] and [[Ibra]] in Oman’s east. In addition to a 136-km track from Suhar to [[Al Ain]] in the [[United Arab Emirates|UAE]], with a 27-km spur to the town of [[Buraimi]], and a 58-km track from Suhar to [[Khatmat Malaha|Khatmat Al Malaha]], another border crossing.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2014-01-09|title=Track to the future: A regional rail network is expected to help realise trade potential|url=https://oxfordbusinessgroup.com/analysis/track-future-regional-rail-network-expected-help-realise-trade-potential|access-date=2021-10-09|website=Oxford Business Group|language=en}}</ref>

;2015

In February 2015, the Government Tender Board selected a consortium headed by Spanish engineering contractor [[Técnicas Reunidas]] to provide project management consultancy services for the network.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Oman Rail project management contract awarded|url=https://www.railwaygazette.com/infrastructure/oman-rail-project-management-contract-awarded/40521.article|access-date=2021-10-09|website=[[Railway Gazette International]]|language=en}}</ref>
;2016

The GCC Railway project was suspended in 2016 after some partner countries decided to hold their rail plans due to the decline in oil price.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Oman rail 'still on track' say officials|url=https://timesofoman.com/article/16213-oman-rail-still-on-track-say-officials|access-date=2021-10-09|website=[[Times of Oman]]|language=en}}</ref> However, the government of Oman had announced that it will continue with its national rail network.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2016-05-03|title=Oman suspends railway project|url=https://www.railjournal.com/regions/middle-east/oman-suspends-railway-project/|access-date=2021-10-08|website=[[International Railway Journal]]|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Oman's national railway ambitions chug on despite delay in GCC rail network completion|url=https://www.albawaba.com/business/omans-national-railway-ambitions-chug-despite-delay-gcc-rail-network-completion-876966|website=[[Al Bawaba]]|language=en}}</ref>

;2021

In June 2021, the government of Oman announced the planning for the first metro and passenger rail services that would link Muscat City and its major airports. The metro network would extend from [[Ruwi]] and [[Muttrah]] to [[Muscat International Airport]] and [[Seeb]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-08-06|title=Oman plans first metro and passenger rail service|url=https://www.globalconstructionreview.com/oman-plans-first-metro-and-passenger-rail-service/|access-date=2021-10-08|website=Global Construction Review|language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Muscat plans light rail metro|url=https://timesofoman.com/article/104634-muscat-plans-light-rail-metro|access-date=2021-10-08|website=[[Times of Oman]]|language=en}}</ref>

;2023

In February 2023, an agreement was signed for development of a route linking the port of [[Sohar]] to the UAE railway network. It will be overseen by the [[Oman and Etihad Rail Company]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=2023-03-31|title=$3 billion UAE-Oman rail network to create jobs and boost economy, officials say|url=https://www.thenationalnews.com/uae/transport/2023/03/31/3-billion-uae-oman-rail-network-to-create-jobs-and-boost-economy-officials-say/|access-date=2023-08-14|website=The National News UAS|language=en-GB}}</ref>