Hafeet Rail, the developer and operator of the Joint Omani-Emirati Railway Network Project, announced today (October 8) the start of tunnel excavation work in the Al Hajar Mountains in the Al Buraimi Governorate. 

This marks a major qualitative launch for one of the most critical and transformative stages of the project, reported ONA.

The company said it has achieved a series of key milestones in the execution of this strategic cross-border project, confirming that work is proceeding steadily and according to the scheduled timeline. Detailed design work has been completed.

Access roads leading to the tunnel entrances have been constructed to allow heavy equipment and construction materials to reach the sites, it stated. 

Hafeet Rail said drilling and blasting work is currently under way at the tunnel entrances in preparation for the full excavation phase.

Following the completion of the civil work for the tunnels, subsequent phases will involve forming the track structure, laying the rails, and implementing the rail systems inside them.

This work is being executed according to the highest standards of safety, sustainability, and environmental protection, utilizing advanced engineering techniques and monitoring systems to ensure structural integrity, protect nearby residential areas, and mitigate the project’s environmental impact, it added.

Hafeet Rail said it has already received its first shipment of railway tracks via Sohar Port, a significant achievement reflecting continuous progress toward the rail-laying stage. 

In parallel, construction work is advancing in other areas, including excavation, backfilling, and infrastructure construction, such as the implementation of 881 wadi drainage culverts and 57 bridges, some reaching a height of up to 34m, it added.