Saudi Railway Company (SAR) will soon float tenders for its Riyadh-Dammam and the Land Bridge railway projects, it was revealed at the Middle East Rail 2018 event in Dubai, UAE.

 

Speaking at the 12th edition of the Middle East Rail, Khalid Al Sultan, vice president - infrastructure, SAR provided details of the company’s railway development plans.

 

The Riyadh-Dammam project consists of a 449-km passenger line connecting Dammam and Riyadh passing through Al Ahsa and Abqaiq, a 546-km freight line connecting King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam with Riyadh passing through Al Ahsa, Abqaiq, Al Kharj, Haradh and Al Tawdhiyah and a 400-km sub-line connecting industrial, agricultural and military sites with export ports and residential areas.  

 

The Land Bridge extends from Jeddah to Riyadh with a total length of approximately 1,000 km of double track. It also connects to the proposed GCC railway network.

 

He said railway will play a major role in three aspects of development: a cost-efficient means of moving goods and freight; a means of moving people; and connecting of major ports and entry points to ensure seamless infrastructural connectivity. 

 

He explained in great detail the length and depth of coverage of the country’s three major railway lines including the Riyadh-Dammam line, North-South Project (connecting major heavy industry hubs for freight projects) and the 453-km-long Haramain High-Speed Railway (HHR) project linking the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah.  

 

Al Sultan also expressed SAR’s keen interest in working with the private sector to collaborate and partner in achieving success in multiple new projects.

 

Of note were the public-private partnership (PPP) opportunities for the 340-km double-track Yanbu to Jeddah connection (via King Abdullah Port) and the 40-km double-track in Riyadh connecting to a new dry port (linking SAR and SRO networks in Riyadh and a new dry port to be situated outside of Riyadh). – TradeArabia News Service