Saudis study building high-speed rail line connecting Riyadh, Dammam
The government is seeking to cut the rail travel time between Riyadh and Dammam, a major industrial center
Saudi Arabia's government will study whether to build a high-speed railway line between Riyadh and Dammam, capital of the country's oil-rich Eastern Province, transport consultancy Consultrans said on Friday.
The Spain-based company said it had been awarded a $1.8 million, 10-month contract to conduct the study. The line would be 480 km (300 miles) long.
The government is seeking to cut the rail travel time between Riyadh and Dammam, a major industrial center, to under three hours from 4-1/2 hours, by raising the average speed of trains to as much as 300 km/hour from 180 km/hour currently.
Saudi Arabia is spending tens of billions of dollars on upgrading its transport infrastructure as part of efforts to diversify the economy beyond oil. In May, the government awarded a $2.1 billion contract to operate a new bus system in Riyadh.
Also Read
-
Lack of transport linked to unemployment among Saudi women
32.6 percent of Saudi women lose their jobs due to lack of transportation, according to the study. Economy -
Low uptake among Saudis for 20,000 Haj transport jobs
Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Labor is discussing the obstacles faced in hiring national workers for 20,000 jobs in the transport sector in 18 ... Economy -
Pictures of new train connecting Saudi’s holy cities revealed
The train connects the cities of Makkah and Medina Aviation & Transport
