Nothing is ever easy: Top challenges facing Middle East rail projects in 2012

The Middle East offers unlimited opportunities for rail operators, consultants and contractors, however its not all plain sailing. I recently read Construction Week’s interview with Geoff Leffek, regional rail director at Hyder Consulting and it got me thinking about the common challenges facing the ME rail industry. So below I have summarised some of the key challenges that I have come across during my research and a few suggestions from the experts on how to overcome them.

Severe regional conditions: Sand and dust build up, humidity, harsh sunlight and unstable surfaces are just some of the challenges potentially facing operators and contractors in the region

According to Leffek, there are many regional bodies researching how to overcome these conditions “Sand movement and mitigation is a subject that is attracting much research currently, including mathematical modelling, wind tunnel studies, and in-situ testing”

Customer buy in: Converting people from roads to rails

Our experts we have been researching with have identified the following strategies operators should consider when convincing the population of the Middle East to jump on the train

• End to End service – Urban networks need to be dense, offering passengers quicker and simpler access to destinations
• Customer comfort – Train travel needs to offer an enjoyable experience to tempt customers out of their cars. Enhanced passenger services including onboard entertainment, food, comfortable seats are the key to success
• Effective and simple payment systems – Rail travel needs to cheaper and more efficient than a car journey, this can include rail cards, online top up, pricing strategies etc

Human resourcing: Let the war for rail talent begin! With some of the largest rail expansion plans in the world underway in the Middle East companies are facing the challenges of finding and retaining experienced workers before someone else does

Here are a few suggestions from operators about how they can ensure they are first to the post when resourcing their projects

• Authorities should increase the number of regional training institutes to develop local talent
• Companies need to focus on retention of employees to ensure consistent production levels and training
• Working for an attractive company is important to employees, so companies should ensure the package and company reputation is one that will appeal to both local and international potential employee’s

What are the main challenges you think Middle East rail projects?