Saudi Arabia has issued transaction advisory services tender for two railway projects – one linking Yanbu, Industrial City and King Abdullah Port in the Red Sea, and other to connect the existing Dammam-Riyadh Line with the Northern Line, according to a report.
Also the government has floated a tender to build a new dry port and logistics Zone, said a Reuters report, citing a top transport authority official.
“The plan is to use the public-private partnership (PPP) route for both projects. We have done the feasibility and they are bankable, and now we are working on hiring the advisors who will prepare the PPP package,” remarked Rumaih Al Rumaih, president of the Saudi Public Transport Authority (PTA).
He didn’t disclose details about the tendering timeline or length of the railway segments.
In March 2018, Trade Arabia News Service had reported that there would be PPP opportunities for the 340-km double-track Yanbu to Jeddah connection via King Abdullah Port and the 40 km double-track in Riyadh connecting to a new dry port (linking the Saudi Arabian Railways and Saudi Railways Organisation networks in Riyadh and a new dry port to be situated outside of Riyadh).
In 2017, Saudi Railways Company (SAR) began first passenger services on the 2,750-km North-South line from Riyadh to Al Qurrayat on the border with Jordan, said the top official.
“In November last year, we opened the fifth station, Al Jouf, on this line and introduced night trains between the nearly 800-km stretch between Al Jouf and capital Riyadh,” he added.
TradeArabia News Service
28/02/2019
