Proposed Kuwait metro to stretch over 160 kms, host 68 stations

Kuwait’s Public Authority for Roads and Transport (PART), announced its plans for new construction projects that include features of the to-be-constructed metro project, Kuwait Times reported.

The metropolitan rapid transit system project (KMRT) is to be built across five phases, and will spread over 160 kilometers, with 68 stations along three lines, according to the plan, a statement said.

The first phase of the metro project – covering areas in several governorates, and including nine stations within Kuwait’s business center – includes a railway stretching 50 kilometers from Kuwait City to Kuwait International Airport, with 27 new stations, 30 percent of which will be underground.

The project is primarily being built to facilitate added means of transport within urban spaces, expected to start from the business center in downtown Kuwait City, and head out in different directions, the statement said.

The metro initiative also aims to have a significant economic impact as it will provide a high-capacity transport system, reduce commuting costs and considerably slash travel time usually spent in traffic congestions. Environmentally, the metro will consume less energy, thus helping reduce harmful emissions.

The road and transport authority did not lend a timetable to the project’s execution, the statement said.