BAHRAIN’S futuristic metro project may need to be rerouted to avoid the rail passing close to people’s homes along a key highway, according to MPs and councillors.

This follows complaints from residents in Muharraq that the planned route will invade their privacy with the project’s elevation higher than their homes.

Transportation and Telecommunications Ministry assistant under-secretary for land transport Hussein Ali Yacoub told the Muharraq Municipal Council earlier that the metro’s four stations in the governorate will all be located along the Airport Highway.

The main station at Bahrain International Airport is under review with the Bahrain Airport Company (BAC).

The three other stations will be located at King Hamad University Hospital, Muharraq Health Centre and the former Oasis Mall.

Mr Yacoub added that the first phase of the metro project will focus on a 28.6km segment out of the total 109km-long line and will be able to handle 43,000 passengers per hour.

Eventually, the project will feature 20 stations across Bahrain. The rail lines will link to a new King Hamad International Station and join the GCC railway network.

Work will start from the airport to the Educational Area in Isa Town covering Salmabad, Juffair, Seef, Bab Al Bahrain Area and Al Farouq Junction.

The government has allocated an initial BD11.7 million in the draft 2023-2024 national budget to cover parts of the project, which is expected to be complete in 2029.

Airport area MP Mohammed Al Olaiwi said the proposed routes needed to be adjusted to showcase more of Bahrain’s rich historic and cultural landmarks, and avoid invading public privacy especially of homes on the Airport Highway.

“I understand that it would be more expensive to reroute from the Airport Highway to other roads covering Arad Bay, Arad Fort or the World Heritage Site Pearling Path because it is a longer distance to cover,” he said.

“But sometimes spending more resolves a bigger expensive problem involving complaints from residents and presents better solutions and that’s promoting tourism in the country.

“People are already complaining that the planned route on the Airport Highway will invade their privacy with its elevation higher than their homes.

“Some have been also forced to sell their homes near the airport to the government to give more space for the metro, despite not wanting to leave.”

Meanwhile, area councillor Abdulqader Al Sayed said the project was vital as it will pave the way for the country’s transportation future, but requested a review of the current routes.

“Having a metro is something that we have been hearing about for two decades and having it in the next six years will certainly present the public with transportation options,” he said.

“But, it shouldn’t come at the expense of invading people’s privacy.”

However, council chairman Abdulaziz Al Naar said the government needed to change people’s perception about public transport before spending millions on the metro rail.

“The culture in Bahrain is that everyone has his own car and only a few nationals besides expats use public transport,” he said.

“People should be first convinced that the metro is a viable option before wasting money on it.

“I am not against development, but it should have a purpose, and not done for show.”

Bahrain’s nationwide monorail network was first proposed and approved by the Cabinet in 2008, but stalled shortly afterwards due to the global financial crisis.

On October 6, 2015 new bids for the construction of the light rail network were invited by the Tender Board, as part of Bahrain’s section of a pan-Gulf railway.

The GCC Railway will connect a cargo station in the Khalifa Bin Salman Port in Hidd and a passenger terminal in Salmabad to a train station in Saudi Arabia.

Bahrain’s section of the railway project, from the station in Hidd to the station in Saudi, will extend 75km, including the upcoming 25km King Hamad Causeway.

mohammed@gdnmedia.bh

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