Saudi rail project on track

Five companiea are in the running for the next phase of the Haramain rail project.

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The Saudi Railway Organisation (SRO) has announced that the 450 km Haramain High Speed Railway project, linking Makkah and Medinah is on track, as it prepares to receive tenders from five prequalified companies.

The tenders, now due at the end of February, are for the second and final phase of the project, which covers the establishment of the 450 km electric railroad. This package includes the construction of tracks, signals, communications infrastructure and the operational control centre. It also includes the procurement and maintenance of trains and maintenance of all infrastructure for 12 years.

The five shortlisted companies were Saudi Binladin Consortium (German); Al Rajhi Consortium (French); Al Shoula Consortium (Spanish); Badr Consortium (Korean) and CSR Consortium (Chinese).

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This month, SRO is also due to release tender documents for the construction of stations along the 450 km line. This tender forms part of Phase 1 Package 2; Fosters and Buro Happold has designed the stations.

“The SRO has also set a 15 day deadline to present documents and sketches of design works of four railway stations in Makkah, Madinah, King Abdullah Economic City of Rabigh, as well as for the central railway station at the old airport in Jeddah,” said Ali Al Qarni, engineer and deputy president of technical affairs, SRO, in a report.

Phase 1 Package 1, which covers civil works along the 450km route, was awarded to the Al Rajhi Alliance in 2009.