Muscat: Prominent South African rail technology firm D2 Track Solutions has announced the establishment of a joint venture that seeks to position the Sultanate of Oman as a regional base for its rail-based operations covering the wider GCC and MENA markets.
Pretoria-headquartered D2 Track Solutions, the owner and developer of South Africa’s tubular-track (T-Track) based rail networks, has entered into a partnership with Oman-based First Pole of Technology and Services LLC. The new 50/50 JV, named T-Track MENA LLC, has begun exploring opportunities spawned by the rollout of new rail networks and metro projects in Oman and the wider MENA region.
“T-Track MENA has ambitions to jump start the growth of a rail services and construction industry in Oman with an eye on opportunities across the MENA region,” said Jan van Wyk, Managing Partner - T Track MENA LLC. “Besides promoting South Africa’s durable and cost-competitive T-Track rail technologies, the JV will also drive localization, skills development and in-country value creation to underpin the growth of a green-field rail services sector in Oman.”
First pioneered by South Africa in the 1980s, T-Track (tubular track) rail technology has since been embraced by many countries and regions globally. Essentially a precast modular track system with longitudinal continuous support, the track sits on a bed of concrete that runs along the length of the network. As they do not involve the use of aggregates as ballast, T-Track based rail systems are not subject to a phenomenon known as ballast-fouling sand mitigation. Consequently, such ballast-less track systems are increasingly used for higher speed rail, particularly in desert regions of the world, sparing developers the need to invest in 3,000 tonnes of ballast per kilometer.
In the Gulf region, T-Track systems have been deployed on a rail track linking Riyadh and Dammam in Saudi Arabia in 2008. The technology provider is now in discussion with Saudi Arabia Railways (SAR), which is developing the ambitious Saudi Landbridge project – a 2,600km rail link connecting Jeddah with Riyadh. As Ballast has to be transported more than 800km to the rail construction site.
Seeking to offer an integrated package of services across all aspects of the rail services supply chain, Muscat-based T-Track MENA has been forging partnerships with Omani and other international players to position itself strongly in the local market. For example it has joined hands with Advance Business Solutions to provide GPS monitoring and rail movement of rolling stock.
The Omani JV is also keenly exploring consultancy and contracting opportunities linked to the Hafeet Rail project, work on which formally commenced recently. In partnership with TYPSA Consulting of India, the company has submitted a bid for a contract, dubbed the ‘I2 Tender’, for the construction of rail yards in Al Buraimi and Suhar, which includes the construction of 56km rail tracks.
In keeping with its ICV strategy, T-Track MENA is also forging alliances with Omani product and service providers that can support the JV in meeting its project commitments in the event of a contract award coming its way. Examples include Rusayl-based Oman Metal Industries, which has been tapped to provide gauge bars and strips for track modules, while Oriental Cement has committed to supplying concrete. Rebar for the project will come from local company Dawood Rebar.
More than 90% of T-Track materials and consumables can be sourced locally from within Oman, underscoring the comprehensive ICV targets of the Omani JV, said Jan van Wyk.
Further, in a bid to support the creation of Omani cadres for jobs in the emerging rail sector, T-Track has been engaging with local universities and colleges to assess the training needs of graduates across a wide array of skills and disciplines.
“T-Track envisions the potential for jobs in Telecoms, Rail Signaling. Civil & Mechanical Construction, Electrical Engineering, and Rail Regulations, among others. Indeed, T Track rail solutions will also create many sustainable long term opportunities for SMEs and the local community,” Jan van Wyk said. “T Track MENA, the owner of the technology, is also open to investment and partnership in the global roll-out of T Track technology,” he added.
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