Major KSA rail expansion to be operational by 2015

Saudi's rail network will link all major cities, says SRO chief.

Saudi Railways (SRO) president Abdul Aziz M. Al-Hokail says the kingdom’s rail network will be operational in three years time, handing Saudi Arabia one of the most extensive rail networks in the world.

Saudi Arabia currently has around 1,200km of rail lines in operation and around 5,800km under construction – all set to mature in 2014-2015

Speaking to English language daily newspaper Arab News, Al-Hokail said, “I can’t tell you the total costs of these projects, but it will spawn new industries, new cities, new employment opportunities, and there is every possibility that one will one day be able to take a train from Jeddah to cities in Europe.”

The rail network development consists, broadly, of five projects. The first covers the Maaden line which stretches from Hazm Al-Jalamid in the north to Zubairah and Ras Al-Khair. The project was built to transfer phosphate from Hazm Al-Jalamid and bauxite from Zubairah to Ras Al-Khair for processing.

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Project two, the North-Riyadh project will link Zubairah with the nation’s capital, carrying freight and passengers. It will also extend to the Haditha on the border with Jordan and link Haditha, Zubairah, Hail, Qassim, Majmaa with Riyadh. It’s an enormous project, expected to be completed by 2014.

The third project is the Haramain High Speed Rail project running through Makkah, Jeddah, Rabigh and Madinah. Around 45% of the first phase civil works are completed – and the work includes construction of 154 bridges and more than 500 tunnels.

“The remainder of Phase 1 is the construction of railway stations. This contract was awarded last year. The stations will be built in Makkah, Jeddah, Rabigh and Madinah. There will be two terminals in Jeddah - one at King Abdulaziz Airport and another at the King Abdullah intersection on the Jeddah-Makkah Expressway,” Al-Hokail told Arab News.

“Phase 2 of this project will involve the laying of tracks and getting the trains on them. We will have 36 trains on this route. Their speed will be more than 300 km per hour. This crucial component of the project was awarded last year to Al-Shoula consortium, which comprises Saudi and Spanish companies. The project includes construction of railway tracks, installation of signals and telecommunication systems, electrification, operational control centre and procurement of trains. This project will be completed by the end of 2014 or early 2015.”

The fourth project, the Land Bridge will connect Ras Al-Khair, Jubail and Dammam, which has an existing line to Riyadh. The project also covers the extension Yanbu via Jeddah – connection the Red Sea and Arabian Gulf coasts via rail for the first time. The line is designed to expedite freight between the two coasts, dramatically cutting shipping times between Asia and Europe. The rail journey, for passengers, between Jeddah and Riyadh will be around 4-5 hours, Al-Hokail said.

The fifth rail project is the GCC Railway Project, a 1,940km loop that runs from Kuwait to Ras Al-Khair and on to Oman and Qatar. Saudi’s portion of the project covers 663kms and is scheduled for completion in 2017.