SAUDI LANDBRIDGE
Posted on 18 June 2009 by Railways Africa Editor
The 1,435mm gauge, single track (with lengthy passing sidings) of the Saudi Landbridge project is to be compliant with both freight and high-speed passenger trains. All infrastructure, including bridges, tunnels, embankments and drainage systems, will be dimensioned for a double track, enabling the addition of a second set of rails when justified by traffic growth. The axle load is expected to be 25t. Minimum curve radius will be 3,500m with a maximum cant of 150mm. Rolling stock will be diesel powered. Signalling technology will be compatible with European Raft Traffic Management System (ERTMS) level 2 and there is to be centralised traffic control (CTC).
The design speed for passenger trains is expected to be 250km/h and 140km/h for freight. The operating speed of passenger trains will be up to 220km/h and 120km/h for freight.
The project comprises a 950km line linking Riyadh and Jeddah and a 115km line between Dammam & Jubail. Three freight stations and two passenger stations – at the airport and in the city centre – are to be provided in Jeddah. All-in cost is estimated at between $US7 and 9 billion.
The first rail link between the Red Sea and the Gulf, the landbridge is being constructed on a build, operate and transfer (BOT) basis. It will make possible the importing of freight from East Asian countries via King Abdul Aziz Port in Dammam, and from Europe and North America via the Jeddah Islamic Port. Primarily it will be a freight/container line, interoperable with the north-south railway. By 2015, the number of transportable containers on the landbridge is expected to reach 700,000, with an increase of more than 100%. Train capacity up to 400TEUs is planned. This implies that over 8 million tonnes of freight cargo would be distributed in Saudi Arabia and the neighbouring countries.
The Jeddah-Riyadh railway is foreseen as taking six hours by passenger train, compared with the present 10-12 hours by bus.
Freight trains are expected to take a maximum of 12 hours.
The time taken between Riyadh and Dammam will be two hours and 45 minutes, instead of the present four hours by train. For freight trains, travel time will be six hours. The Dammam-Jubail link will take one hour for passenger trains and three hours for freight.
Overall time taken for freight transport services from Jeddah to Dammam is expected to be 18 hours instead of the current five to nine days.
In July 2008, the Saudi government licensed the establishment of the Saudi Landbridge Company, to expedite the completion and operation of the railway project. On 21 April 2008, the Tarabot consortium, consisting of seven Saudi companies and Asciano of Australia, was selected as the preferred bidder for the 50-year BOT concession for the landbridge project. However, in February 2009 reports suggested that a joint bid by the Tarabot and Tracc consortiums led by local firms ACWA Power and Saudi Binladin Group were expected to win the Landbridge contract. They submitted the lowest of three bids and the winning bid is said to be worth $7-9bn. The winning bidding consortium will have an 80% stake in the company, with the government holding 20%.”
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