THE Partnerships Technical Bureau in Kuwait (PTB) is pushing ahead with its plans to develop a new metro system for Kuwait City.

The Kuwait Metropolitan Rapid Transit System Project (KMRT), being undertaken by the PTB on behalf of the Ministry of Communications, is the only metro system project in the country, and will involve the development, financing, construction, operation and maintenance of a full metro network that will be developed over five phases. The project will be tendered in accordance with the PPP (public private partnership) law.

The entire project consists of 69 stations (16 per cent underground) with a total length of 160 km. Phase One of the project which will include the construction of a network of roughly 50 km, with 28 new stations, 30 per cent of which will be underground. The remaining four phases will be constructed based on demand.

PTB will shortly be issuing the Expression of Interest (EOI) for the procurement of the integrated rolling stock and systems PPP company, which will provide rolling stock and metro systems to the entire network.

The PTB has appointed a transaction advisory team comprising Ernst & Young, Ashurst and Atkins to prepare the feasibility study, and prepare for the procurement stage, including metro infrastructure, control systems, rolling stock, depot and operations.