Etihad Rail was granted final safety authorisation on December 10 by the United Arab Emirates Federal Transport Authority (FTA) for the 264km Shah - Habshan - Ruwais line, clearing the way for the start of commercial operations on the first phase of the country's national railway network. The 120km coastal section of the railway will form a key element of the 2177km Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) railway which is planned to link all six GCC member states: Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Oman. Etihad Rail is expected to launch soon the second stage of its 628km section of the GCC Railway. Oman Rail, which is developing the country's 2135km railway network, received bids in October from eight groups led by international rail operators for the operations and maintenance contract for the 207km phase 1 of the network from Buraimi on the UAE border to the port of Sohar. The contract should be awarded early this year.
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