Bubblegum Crisis
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Riyadh Metro
With a population of more than 5 million, the capital Riyadh is Saudi Arabias biggest city. Experiencing rapid growth, Riyadhs population has more than doubled since 1990. City planners have announced that Riyadh will build a new public transport system to serve its fast-growing population. In July 2012, the government shortlisted four consortia to build a metro system in Riyadh, and in December that year, the government announced that the new Public Transport Commission will be established to regulate public transport services and private investment in the sector.
King Abdullah has instructed the new Riyadh Metro be completed in four years. Prince Khaled bin Bander, the governor of Riyadh, said the project is progressing to plan and the ArRiyadh Development Authority has released details of the citys public transport plan including six metro lines that will serve as the backbone for public transport in the city:
1. Blue line: The 44km long line will serve the Olaya-Batha-Hayer axis and will include 39 stations.
2. Green line: The 22km long line will move along King Abdullah road, linking KSU in the west to King Fahad Stadum in the east. It will include 14 stations.
3. Red line: At 45km, it is the longest line. It will be constructed along Madinah, with the old train station in the middle of the line.
4. Orange line: It will link King Khaled International Airport to the new King Abdullah Financial District, with stops at Princess Norah University and Imam Mohammed bin Saud Islamic University.
5. Yellow line: The 26km long line will be constructed along King Abdulaziz Road and will include 26 stations.
6. Purple line: This line will server eastern Riyadh and will feature 9 stations.
Saudi Arabia awards $22.5 billion contracts to build Riyadh metro
By Marwa Rashad
RIYADH | Sun Jul 28, 2013 11:00pm BST
(Reuters) - The Saudi Arabian government awarded $22.5 billion (14.6 billion pounds) in contracts to three foreign-led consortia on Sunday for the design and construction of the first metro rail system in the capital Riyadh.
The project, which will involve six rail lines extending 176 kilometres (110 miles) and carrying electric, driverless trains, is the world's largest public transport system currently under development, Saudi officials said.
U.S. construction giant Bechtel Corp heads a group which won a $9.45 billion contract to build two lines, the government announced. Its partners include Germany's Siemens Aktiengesellschaft and U.S.-based AECOM.
A consortium led by Spain's Fomento de Construcciones y Contratas, and including France's Alstom Transport and South Korea's Samsung C&T Corp, won a $7.82 billion contract for three lines.
Italy's Ansaldo STS headed a group that won a $5.21 billion order. Its partners include Canadian firm Bombardier and India's Larsen & Toubro.
Design work will start immediately and construction will begin in the first quarter of 2014, the government said. The project is expected to be completed in 2019.
The project "will be a major driver of employment and economic development," said Ibrahim Bin Muhammad Al Sultan, head of the government body overseeing the project. "It will also help to reduce traffic congestion and improve air quality."
Flush with cash after more than two years of high oil prices, Saudi Arabia is pumping billions of dollars into infrastructure projects designed to improve living standards and ease social discontent in the wake of the 2011 uprisings elsewhere in the Arab world.
Last August the government approved a $16.5 billion plan to modernise the transport system in the holy city of Mecca, including creating a bus network and a metro system.
It is also building several other rail systems, including a 2,750 km line running from Riyadh to near the northern border with Jordan.
Saudi officials said Riyadh's population was projected to grow from 6 million to over 8 million in the next 10 years, making the metro vital to ease congestion and pollution in the capital's streets.
In addition to raising living standards, the government says it wants to upgrade the country's infrastructure to help the economy diversify beyond oil, making it less vulnerable to any future plunge of global oil prices.
The contracts may provide a welcome financial boost to some Western construction companies struggling with slow economic growth in their home markets and state austerity policies in debt-choked Europe. Company spokesmen were not immediately available to comment.
(Writing by Andrew Torchia; Editing by Diane Craft)
Reuters
Jeddah Metro design to be finished by April
on Dec 17, 2012
The design work for Jeddah's Metro system is now almost complete, to transport minister Jabara Al-Seraisry.
The minister told a meeting of prominent businessmen at Jeddah's Chamber of Commerce and Industry that design work for the project "will be completed in five months", according to Arab News.
"Then it will be submitted to the higher authorities for consideration,” Al-Seraisry said.
The project, which has an estimated value of around $9.3bn, will consist of the construction a 108km network consisting of three main lines - orange, blue and green.
The Orange line will be 67km and link 22 stations running northwards through the centre of the city from Makkah Road to Obhur.
The 24km Blue Line will run from King Abdulaziz airport to the Oild Airport Road and will have 17 stations, while the Green Line will be 17km long and have seven stations linking from Old Station Road to the new Haramain high-speed railway.
Al-Seraisry said that the development of a transport sector was "vital for the economic development of any region".
The fast developing commercial and industrial sectors are dependent on a comprehensive advanced transport system,” he said.
ConstructionWeekOnline
Railway expansion will link major cities
RIYADH: Mohammed Rasooldeen
Sunday 5 May 2013
The Kingdom has embarked on a massive expansion plan to provide rail links from north to south and east to west covering all strategic commercial, industrial and social points.
The idea of constructing a railway line in Saudi Arabia was first introduced in the mid 1940s, when need became apparent for a port on the Gulf coast to handle materials dispatched to The Arabian American Oil Company (Aramco). Such goods had to be conveyed inland from the port to the company’s warehouses in Dhahran.
The idea provided by Aramco for establishing a railway from Dammam to Riyadh included the construction of a large commercial port able to receive the ships carrying the needs and equipment of the oil industry as well as the immense benefits of this port to the national economy.
The idea of constructing such a railway line was presented to King Abdul Aziz Al Saud who approved the project and instructed the line to be extended to Riyadh. Construction work commenced in September 1947 and on the Oct. 20, 1951, the line was officially inaugurated by King Abdul Aziz.
In the beginning, the railway line was run by Aramco, but it was subsequently entrusted to the Ministry of Finance, at which time it was known as the Railway Department.
On May 13, 1966, a Royal decree was issued establishing the Saudi Railways Organization (SRO) as a public corporation having full legal status. A board of directors was appointed to lead the organization on commercial principles.
“Rail transport is a vital support to growth and development in any country,” said Abdulaziz Al-Hokail, president of the Saudi Railways organization (SRO).
The Saudi government, realizing the value of rail transport adds to national development, had launched several initiatives to bring this vital service at par with the developmental needs of the country. These initiatives include major expansion projects to connect the Western regions of the Kingdom with the Eastern region, the northern with the central and to link the holy places as well as the Kingdom with the GCC countries.
The development initiatives also include moving toward privatizing SRO and opening the door for national and foreign investments to bolster its ability to support national development.
The official inauguration of Riyadh Dry Port took place on May 24, 1981. Statistics show that the number of containers handled at Riyadh Dry Port, since its inception, had increased dramatically. For example, in 1981-82, the number of standard containers (TEU’s) handled was 21,000. Twenty years later, in 2008 the number reached more than 398,000.
SRO operates a network of railways with a total length of approximately 1,380 kilometers, extending from King Abdul Aziz Port in Dammam and the City of Dammam itself to Riyadh, passing by Abqaiq, Hofuf, Haradh, Al-Tawdhihiyah and Al-Kharj.
Railroads operated by SRO include the Passenger Line, which is a 449-kilometer line that connects Riyadh to Dammam through Al-Ahsa and Abqaiq; the Cargo Line, a 556-kilometer line starting at King Abdul Aziz Port in Dammam and ending in Riyadh, passing by Al-Ahsa, Abqaiq, Al-Kharj, Haradh and Al-Tawdhihiyah; and the Branch Lines witha total length of 373 kilometers that connect some industrial and agricultural production sites and some military sites with export ports and some residential areas.
The Haramain high-speed rail project, announced by the Saudi Railway Organization, involves a 450-kilometer rail link between Makkah and Madinah. It will also pass through Jeddah and Rabigh.
Other components of the project include high-speed trains fitted with the latest equipment and five ultra-modern passenger stations — one in Makkah, two in Jeddah, one at King Abdul Aziz International Airport and one in Madinah.
About 27 percent of the Haramain rail stations in Jeddah and 13 percent in Makkah have been completed. The project will be completed on time, according to Muhammad Al-Suwaiket, assistant deputy minister of transport.
He said that the second phase of the train project will begin after construction of stations is completed, he said.
Building four stations in Makkah, Madinah, Jeddah and King Abdullah Economic City in Rabigh is the second and last part of the project’s first phase. The project’s second and last phase will involve the installation of tracks, signal and communication systems and the railway electrification system and 35 passenger vehicles.
The second stage will also see the establishment of six power stations to meet the project’s power requirements. The project is expected to operate by the end of 2014.
Al-Suwaiket said the Haramain high-speed rail project is one of the main parts of the Kingdom’s rail expansion project.
Transport Minister Jabara Al-Seraisry said: “The land bridge along with the North-South Railway and the Haramain Railway will have a big impact on the social and economic development of the country.”
The project will allow freight of cargo imported from East Asian countries via King Abdul Aziz Port in Dammam, and from Europe and North America via Jeddah Islamic Port. This would result in more transit cargo and savings in regional freight economy.
The contract is part of the plan ordered by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah to complete the railway infrastructure of the Kingdom and in line with a decision of the Council of Ministers to construct a railway line connecting the Kingdom’s west coast with its east coast.
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 kilometers per hour and 140 km/h for freight trains, making the trip between Dammam and Jeddah around 12 hours for cargo. Sea-borne freight can take up to nine days to travel between the two destinations.
PIF will fund the massive project and a supporting team drawn from the ministries of Transport, Finance and Saudi Railways Company (SAR) was formed to supervise the project.
SAR Board Chairman Mansour Al-Maiman said the line would start from Jeddah Islamic Port to Riyadh to be connected with the existing 450 km line between Riyadh and Dammam, with a second 115-km new line planned to connect Dammam with Jubail on the Arabian Gulf.
The 958-km dual track railway passing through different geographical areas will necessitate construction of a series of tunnels and bridges.
The SAR will closely work with Fluor for scheduling all construction work based on the highest quality and standards, he said.
The SAR is fully owned by the PIF and is currently implementing the North-South Railway (NSR) project. It is the world’s largest railway construction and the longest route to adopt the European Train Control System (ETCS) to date. It is a 2,400-km passenger and freight rail line originating in the capital city Riyadh, in the northwest of the country, to Al-Hudaitha, near the border with Jordan.
According to Al-Maiman, the north-south railway project will roughly cost SR20 billion and will depend mainly on goods transportation as a major source of its revenue rather than passengers.
Al-Maiman made this announcement after signing a contract with Spain’s CAF Company valued at more than SR 553 million. CAF will manufacture five passenger train sets for SAR and deliver them within two years. He said the government will finance the project either through issuance of sukuks, direct government funding from state budget or PIF.
The major revenues of the project will come from cargo where some agreements have been signed with certain companies such as Aramco and agricultural companies for transportation of their products.
The signing of the passenger train sets followed signing of similar contracts for the construction of six passenger stations in Riyadh, Majmaa, Qasim, Hail, Jouf, and Quriyyat, to be completed and operational by 2014. The five-passenger train sets will form the first group of SAR passenger trains that will be increased in line with increased operation levels for customers in the future.
To contribute socially, economically, industrially, agriculturally, and commercially to the growth and development of the cities that the railway lines pass by, SAR will provide general freight transportation services by rail. SAR rail network will support multiple industries in the North Province of the kingdom.
General freight train will consist of two-locomotives with a horsepower of (3,400-3,600) and 90 wagons. SAR provides nine Intermodal Yards (Shipping Yards) in Riyadh, Sudair, Qassim, Hail, Ras Al-Khair, Jubail, Al-Jawf, Al-Basaita, and Al-Haditha.
On SAR’s Railway network, there will be several locations that provide support and services. There will be six passenger stations, which will be in Riyadh at King Khaled International Airport, Majma’a, Qassim, Hail at Prince Abdulaziz Bin Mussa’ad Economic City, Al-Jawf, and Al-Qurayyat. Additionally, there will be nine Intermodal Yards (Shipping Yards) in Al-Haditha, Al-Jawf, the agricultural city of Al-Besaitaa, Hail at Prince Abdulaziz Bin Mussa’ad Economic City, Qassim, Sudair, Riyadh, Ras Al-Khair, and Jubail. There will be 17 maintenance buildings for the maintenance staff across the railway network.
Phosphate Transportation service was started in May 2011 from Al-Jalamid Mine located in the Northeast of the Kingdom to the processing plant for Ma’aden Company located at Ras Al-Khair on the Arabian Gulf. The Phosphate trains transport 5 million tons of phosphate annually.
An American company called Electro-Motive Diesel (EMD) manufactures the locomotives. The Phosphate wagons were manufactured by a Chinese company called CSR.
Bauxite Transportation service will start in 2014. Bauxite, which is used to produce aluminum, will be transported from Al-Baitha Mine in Qassim province to the processing plan at Ras Al-Khair. The Bauxite trains will transport more than 3 million tons annually. According to the SAR project timeline, the passenger train service will start in 2014. SAR would provide six passenger stations in Riyadh, Majma’a, Qassim, Hail, Al-Jawf and Al-Qurayyat.
Arab News
Abu Dhabi begins work on Metro and light-rail design
Executive Council approves funding for projects
By Samir Salama
Published: 00:00 March 28, 2012
Abu Dhabi: The Abu Dhabi Department of Transport has started work on the design of a Metro and light-rail transit system after the Executive Council approved funding for the projects, a spokesman for the department said.
The Abu Dhabi Metro, which will extend approximately 131 km and be supported by tram and bus feeder networks, is set to be operational by 2016-17.
Future goals
Besides serving the projected increase in the capital's population and relieving congestion, the Metro will mainly connect the proposed Central Business District with Sowwah Island, Reem Island, Saadiyat Island, Yas Island, Abu Dhabi International Airport and Masdar, the Capital City District, Emerald Gateway, Zayed Sports City and Adnec.
According to the spokesman, 18 km of the Metro lines and 40 km of the light-rail transit system will be designed in the first phase of the project.
Most of the proposed network is expected to be underground. A fully grade separated rail line will serve Central Station, North Island, Al Wahda, Adnec, and Zayed Sports City.
The monorail track (which is part of the Metro project) is expected to be 40km long. Each station is expected to handle 1,000 commuters. The monorail might also include 15 two-coach trains at five-minute intervals between service trains.
The Abu Dhabi Metro would be linked to the Dubai Metro and other cities in the UAE and to other GCC states.
Cost
The Department of Transport estimated the annual cost of time spent in congested traffic in the capital at Dh2.5 billion by 2015, which is expected to increase to Dh5.9 billion by 2030.
The recommended public transport network for the capital is meant to serve 823,000 new daily commuters and eliminate 400,000 daily road trips after making 105,000 auto-mobiles redundant by 2030.
The network will save nearly Dh3.8 billion in travel time costs and 102 million hours of travel time per year.
It is estimated that it will also eliminate 23,000 accidents, saving Dh414 million annually.
The network will also help reduce 22,050 tonnes of carbon monoxide, 4,450 tonnes of nitrogen oxide and 2,305 tonnes of emissions annually.
Gulfnews