The Bahrain light rail network ( ar, شبكىة السكة الحديدية البحرين), also known as Bahrain Metro ( ar, مترو البحرين), is a proposed

public transport Public transport (also known as public transportation, public transit, mass transit, or simply transit) is a system of transport for passengers by group travel systems available for use by the general public unlike private transport, typical ...

project in the

Kingdom of Bahrain Bahrain ( ; ; ar, البحرين, al-Bahrayn, locally ), officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, ' is an island country in Western Asia. It is situated on the Persian Gulf, and comprises a small archipelago made up of 50 natural islands and an ad ...

. First proposed in 2008 and under development by the

Ministry of Transportation and Telecommunications The Ministry of Transportation and Telecommunication is a government ministry of Bahrain. It is headquartered on the 9th, 32nd, and 33rd floors of the East Tower of Bahrain Financial Harbour in Manama.

Lines

A total of 4 lines are proposed, with 2 lines being constructed in phase one. Two interchanges are planned at the Bab al Bahrain and al-Farooq junction. *Red Line - the line will start from

Bahrain International Airport Bahrain International Airport ( ar, مطار البحرين الدولي, ''maṭār al-Baḥrayn al-dwalī'') is the international airport of Bahrain. Located on Muharraq Island, adjacent to the capital Manama, it serves as the hub for the nat ...

and end at

Seef Mall Seef Mall ( ar, مجمع السيف) is the second largest mall in the Kingdom of Bahrain. Managed by Seef Properties, the mall is located in the Seef district of the capital city, Manama. It attracts an average of 25,000 visitors a day. Locatio ...

via Airport Avenue and the King Faisal Highway. The line will have 9 stations and be 13km long. It will also connect The Avenues,

Bab al Bahrain Bab Al Bahrain ( ar, باب البحرين, translitered ''Bāb al-Baḥrayn'' meaning ''Gateway of Bahrain'') is a historical building located in the Customs Square in the central business district of Manama. It marks the main entrance to the ...

, and

Bahrain City Centre City Centre Bahrain is a shopping mall located in the Seef District of Manama, in the Kingdom of Bahrain. It is owned and run by Majid Al Futtaim Properties, which owns several shopping malls across the Middle East. History The shopping centre ...

. *Blue Line - the line will run from

Juffair Juffair ( ar, الجفير) is a district situated in Manama, Bahrain. It was originally a separate village inhabited by Shia Muslims but it has been absorbed by the suburban expansion of Manama in the 20th century, and presently includes large ...

Isa Town Isa Town ( ar, مدينة عيسى, ''Madīnat ʿĪsā'') is a middle class town located in Bahrain, in the north central part of the country. Etymology The name ''Isa'' refers to Isa ibn Salman Al Khalifah, the ruler of Bahrain from 1961 to 1999 ...

, running 15.6km with 11 stations. The line will connect the

Diplomatic Area The Diplomatic Area (; transliterated: ''al-Mantiqah ad-Diblomasiyah'') is an area that is located within the Central Business District of Manama, the capital city of Bahrain, an island kingdom in the Persian Gulf. Constructed on reclaimed land in ...

, Bab al Bahrain,

Salmaniya Salmaniya is a neighborhood of Manama, Bahrain that houses the largest hospital in Bahrain, Salmaniya Medical Complex, and the Psychiatric Hospital (Bahrain). Also, other private hospitals operate within the vicinity such as the Royal Bahrain Hospi ...

, Zinj, Tubli,

Salmabad Salmabad is a town in the center of Bahrain Island.Salmabad, Bahrain

, and end at the Educational Area in Isa Town.

History

The project was unveiled in 2008, with construction planned to start in 2009. However, the project was repeatedly delayed. The project moved ahead in 2018 after

Bilbao ) , motto = , image_map = , mapsize = 275 px , map_caption = Interactive map outlining Bilbao , pushpin_map = Spain Basque Country#Spain#Europe , pushpin_map_caption ...

-based consultancy firm IDOM completed & submitted a

feasibility study A feasibility study is an assessment of the practicality of a project or system. A feasibility study aims to objectively and rationally uncover the strengths and weaknesses of an existing business or proposed venture, opportunities and threats pr ...

to the Ministry of Transportation & Telecommunications. The ministry later announced three tenders in 2019. The project will be developed on a

public private partnership In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociological concept of the ''Öffentlichkei ...

basis. The first phase, including 24 km of light rail network, is expected to cost BD453 million. Subsequent phases will cost more.

References

Rail transport in Bahrain {{Asia-rail-transport-stub

Lines

History

See also

References