MANAMA: Travellers could one day board a train in Manama and get off in Paris, it was declared yesterday.
A GCC rail link to Turkey could be up and running in five years - with Europe proper the next step.
Planners are already mapping out possible rail routes from Bahrain and other GCC states to Europe, via Turkey, thanks to a proposal by His Majesty King Hamad.
His proposed GCC rail link to Turkey could become a reality "in the next five to six years", Turkish Ambassador to Bahrain Osman Haldun said yesterday.
It would ultimately lead to the Gulf region being connected to Europe by rail, he told the GDN.
"Once there is a railway to Turkey, a connection to Europe is the natural thing to happen after that," said Mr Haldun.
People may soon take a train ride from Manama to Paris, he said.