Railroad project unlikely to be completed soon – ‘Trains to help cut traffic chaos’
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KUWAIT CITY, Nov 23: In this week’s Arab Times online poll, readers weighed in on the plans for the rail network with the majority of voters fearing that huge delays in implementation would keep them from seeing the project come to fruition.
Most of the respondents, 42 percent, felt that they would not see the mega project that seeks to run through the GCC countries, during their stay in Kuwait. “I wouldn’t hold my breath about this railway plan, the completion date keeps coming under revision. I think we are used to this since we have been hearing about the various stages of finalization the Kuwait metro has been in for years now”, one reader pointed out. “The low oil price has definitely impacted GCC member states in their consideration and commitment to this project. We have seen the project being pushed back and there is a lot of uncertainty about whether we can realistically expect it to launch in the near future.”
On the other hand, another argued, “We shouldn’t underestimate the political will for the railway network. There has been a lot of development in roadways in the past few years and many big projects were fast-tracked.”
29 percent of voters felt that high speed trains will impact the spatial layout of the country and reduce congestion in traffic. “I think that the introduction of high speed trains and a comprehensive network will serve as a catalyst for more efficient land use development. We can spread out and develop satellite cities to cope with the growing population and minimize the effects of congestion.”
7 percent of voters encouraged the move as efficient transportation will lower costs in other sectors. “I hope that this rail network comes up fast as it will greatly help businesses in Kuwait by the positive implications towards travel speeds and operating costs.” “I hope that pressure towards starting work on the GCC railway network would boost national transport networks in Kuwait and shake us out of this state of inertia”, another respondent told the Arab Times.
Another 7 percent felt that the biggest impact of the railway system would be opening up access to wider markets. “An inter-GCC rail network will really strengthen domestic markets. It would also stir up competition, improving availability and quality of goods and services, which will be a major step forward”, a reader shared. Meanwhile, 14 percent of voters felt that the control of local hooligans will be a challenge.
By Cinatra Fernandes Arab Times Staff
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