Saudi Arabia invites tenders for Haramain railway project

Riyadh: The 450km Haramain railway project, which will link the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah via Jeddah, is on track following the completion of procedures to invite tenders to implement the second and final phase of the project.

"Saudi Railway Organisation (SRO) would receive technical and financial offers from five pre-qualified consortia for the project's second phase by the end of February," said Engineer Ali Al Qarni, deputy president of SRO for technical affairs.

The second phase covers the establishment of the 450km electric railroad, construction of signal and communication systems, supply of adequate number of speed trains, as well as operation and maintenance of the railway.

"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," he said.

Al Qarni said that construction of the 30km tracks on the Jeddah to Makkah route had already started.

"SRO is implementing the massive project in total coordination with all the concerned government departments and agencies," he said.

Referring to the rail route through the valleys, worst hit by recent flash floods in eastern Jeddah, he said that all the precautionary measures will be taken to protect the railway from the dangers of flooding.

Risk factors

"The tracks will be constructed only after looking into all such risk factors, and in line with the outcome of hydrological studies.

"There will be a sufficient number of bridges and crossings over the valleys," he said.

The government signed an agreement for implementing the first phase of the project in March 2009.

The contract was awarded to Al Rajhi consortium, led by the China Railway Company.