JEDDAH: The Ministry of Transport has identified locations in Jeddah through which a proposed rail track connecting Jeddah with the Riyadh-Dammam rail line will be laid, Al-Eqtisadiah newspaper reported.

“The ministry has determined the route of the railway that would link Jeddah Islamic Port to Dammam,” said Ibrahim Kutubkhana, undersecretary for projects at the Jeddah Municipality.

In order to minimize loss or inconvenience to local citizens and private property owners, the railway will pass through public properties and unused spaces as much as possible, said a source at the Ministry of Transport.

“The project includes a railway station at the Jeddah Islamic Port and another in the city that would also serve as a junction linking King Abdul Aziz International Airport with the Makkah-Madinah line and the Dammam line,” Kutubkhana added.

The line will also be connected with Yanbu and Jubail.

The municipal official hinted that the city station would be at the Old Airport where bullet trains and hanging trains will be in service.

The project would make use of open areas including the floodwater drainage canals and government properties in the city and its suburbs, the officials said. The project is expected to ease road traffic in the three regions of Riyadh, Makkah and Eastern Province where 70 percent of the Saudi population is concentrated, besides promoting overall industrial and commercial activities in the Kingdom.

The project involves the construction of 950 km of new railway tracks between Riyadh and Jeddah, and another 115 km line between Dammam and Jubail. It is the cornerstone of a massive multibillion-riyal railway expansion project and will be the first rail link between the Red Sea and the Gulf. Four consortia — Agility PWC Logistics Consortium, Mada Consortium, Saudi Binladin Consortium and Al-Muhaidib/ACWA (Tarabot) Consortium — have presented their financial and technical offers to undertake the project. Transport Minister Jabara Al-Seraisry said on an earlier occasion that the land bridge project would be completed in four years.

Abdul Aziz Al-Hoqail, president of the Saudi Railway Organization (SRO), said the winner of the contract would be announced this year. The consortium that wins the project will have an 80 percent stake in the company, with the government holding 20 percent.

In order to speed up the completion and operation of the railway project the government licensed the establishment of Saudi Land Bridge Company in July.