Wagons roll in to Saudi mineral rail network

The SD70ACS locomotive, similar to that being built for the Saudi mineral rail network.

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The first consignment of 125 wagons for Saudi Arabia’s mineral rail link project has landed in the Kingdom.

The 2,400km North-South Railway starts at Hudaitha in Al-Jouf province and passes through Hail, Qassim and Riyadh provinces and 1,050km of a total 1,486km of new track has been laid. The network will be used to haul phosphate and bauxite mining products in the north of the country that will link up with processing plants and smelters on the Gulf coast. The service will also increase to other cargo operations, as well as goods and passengers.

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The wagons are the first of 688 to arrive from Chinese manufacturers CSR. Six diesel locomotives from Canada-based American firm EMD are also set to arrive this month, with another 19 due in October. The balance of the wagons, already finished and awaiting export from China, will also arrive in October.

Training of engine drivers and other technicians will start in October, and the company aims to start operations towards the end of the year.

Once operational, each train will transport 15,000 tonnes of minerals in every trip – with each engine hauling 100 wagons. The system is designed to cut road traffic immensely. Each train journey is expected to carry the same amount of raw material as 600 trucks.

EMD says the 4,500bhp SP70ACS locomotives have been especially developed to cope with the harsh desert environment.

They have a pulse filtration system and movable sand plows to deal with the extreme desert environment of Saudi Arabia. Thy are also equipped EMD's 710-T1 fuel-efficient diesel engine and the EM2000 microprocessor locomotive control system, as well as the ERTMS/ETCS train control equipment.

Crew comfort features that are being built into the locomotive include an isolated cab to reduce noise and vibration, air conditioning, refrigerator, toilet facility, hot plate as well as other features to make the locomotive a better and safer environment for the crew.