By:almotamar.net - SANA'A-In collaboration with the Ministry of Transport, a team of experts from the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) is due to conduct a field study early 2007 for a railroad network project in Yemen.
The government contributes some $80 thousand to the study while the rest of the cost is funded by the ESCWA. The study includes identifying sites for the railroad network and the areas where it is going to pass such as energy sources, urban populated areas and active seaports.
Minister of Transport Eng. Omar Hassan Al-Amoudi said that the field study will last for a year in coordination with the Ministry of Oil and Minerals and the General Investment Authority.
�It will be focused on three parts of the network: the first is a coastal one starting from Haradh outpost southwards to Hodeidah, Aden, Mukalla until Shahin in Al-Mahrah province, covering a 2000-km distance,� the Minister explained. �The second part extends from Al-Jawf province to Shabwah province, covering a distance of about 1000 kms and passing through energy and mining areas. The third part is in the form of a centralized network connecting Sana�a, Hodeidah, Taiz and Aden, covering a distance of 600 kms.�
He said this project has been approved by the Cabinet and ahs been submitted to the Parliament for discussion and approval.
Al-Amoudi pointed out that the railroad network project, which is the biggest strategic project in Yemen will represent a significant leap in the field of transportation and will considerably prop the national economy as it will bring Yemen into an advanced stage of transportation in terms of speed, capacity and convenience when transporting passengers, goods and fuel with relatively very low costs.
He added that this network will help Yemeni goods penetrate local and foreign markets and will employ thousands of the workforce both during the implementation and operation phases. It will also boost the economic and investment movement and create new markets in the areas where the network will pass.
The project will be linked to the Arab Peninsula�s railroad network which involves Syria, Saudi Arabia as well as Oman which was approved by at the seventh round of the ESCWA transportation committee held in Beirut last April 17.