Bahrain is reportedly planning to invest a total of $10 billion on a railway line connecting to the GCC rail network and a second causeway linking the country with Saudi Arabia.

A feasibility study on the construction of the King Hamad Causeway, which will include the rail link is nearing completion, reported the Gulf Daily News.

Two routes have been proposed for the 87km rail link that will connect two stations on either side of the water, the Bahraini paper said.

Maryam Jam’an, Transportation and Telecommunications Ministry Under-Secretary for Land Transport said at a forum that the railway project was estimated to cost $5bn and the King Hamad Causeway would cost another $5 billion.

Based on preliminary studies, the rail link will comprise 28km of approach tracks, a 26km causeway and a 10km bridge, the paper said.

Trains will travel at up to 120kmph and the feasibility study estimates that it could carry up to 143,000 containers in the first year of operation, rising to 343,000 in 2030 and 602,000 by 2050.

Bids will be launched for the design stage of the project, which is scheduled for completion by 2022.

The 2,177km long GCC rail network, costing $200 billion, will connect all six Gulf states by rail for the first time.