NINE international companies or groups are vying for a contract that could be worth as much as RO60 million ($155 million) to design and consult on the construction of Oman’s first major railway, a tender board official said.

“The companies have been asked to submit new bids to give the process more time. The new deadline is on October 5, for what we expect will be a contract worth between 45 and 60 million rials,” the official said.

He identified bidders as a consortium comprising Denmark’s Cowi, DBI and Aecom of the US; Systra of France; US-based Parsons Corp; Mott MacDonald of Britain; a consortium comprising Italy’s Italferr and Worley Parsons of Australia; a China Railway company; France’s Egis Rail; the Pointec group; and a consortium of Korea Rail and the Hyundai group.

Bids had originally been due to be submitted in July, but the government extended the deadline to give contractors more time.

Oman plans to build a 1,000-km railway at an estimated cost of around RO5 billion ($12.98 billion), with completion in 2018.