ARENA UN-LEX Group, a Spanish railway construction group and partner to Bati Group in Senegal, yesterday presented proposed designs of housing and railway projects to the Gambian leader, Sheikh Professor Alhaji Dr Yahya Jammeh, at State House in Banjul.

According to Juanfe Serrano, sales director of ARENA UN-LEX, they intend to divide the railway project into two phases. The train passengers project, he said, will be the first phase, and is meant to be done as soon as possible. The Gambian leader expressed the need for a passenger train from Brikama, observing the fact that many civil servants travel from Brikama to go to work daily.

Dairou Jallow, from the Bati Group, said his group have partners from different areas including ARENA UN-LEX, whom, he said, understand their work very well. Their first contract, he said, is the construction of the Sankulay kunda bridge. The housing project, according to Jallow, is also set to start soon in Jabang Village, in which they will be partnering with the Social Security and Housing Finance Corporation.

Lamin Bojang, minister of Works, Construction and Infrastructure, said the first phase of the railway project will have stations in Serrekunda, Yundum and Brikama and will mainly target passengers. Later on, he said, the second phase will link the airport to the provinces and that will concentrate on the transportation of goods and services. The Serrekunda, Brikama stations, he went on, are intended to follow the Banjul-Brikama highway.