Saudi Arabia gives go-ahead for $7bn Landbridge
01 November 2011
SAUDI ARABIA has given the go-ahead to implement its prestigious Landbridge project that would link the kingdom’s east and west coasts with a railway line, bringing about a dramatic change in the region’s transport system.
The project, which will be financed by the state-owned Public Investment Fund, involves the construction of a new 950-km line between Riyadh and Jeddah and another 115-km track between Dammam and Jubail and expansion of the current Riyadh-Dammam Railway.
The Landbridge project, earlier estimated to cost more than SR26 billion ($7 billion), will be a freight/container line interoperable with the North-South railway link. In the initial phase, it is expected to transport 700,000 containers, allowing more than 8 million tonnes of freight cargo to be distributed in the region. The train will have the capacity to carry up to 400 TEUs.
With the construction of the Jeddah-Riyadh rail link, the time taken for passenger transport will be six hours instead of the current 10 to 12 hours by bus. For freight trains, the maximum travel time will be 12 hours. The design speed of passenger trains is expected to be 250 kph and 140 kph for freight trains.
The operating speed of passenger trains will be up to 220 kph and up to 120 kph for freight trains.
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