DAMMAM, 18 March 2007 — The Saudi Railway Organization (SRO) has entered into contracts with 20 American companies for the supply of train engines, heavy equipment and spare parts, its chairman Khaled Al-Yahya said yesterday.
In a meeting with US Assistant Secretary of Commerce Israel Hernandez — who is currently in the Kingdom at the head of a high level economic delegation — at the SRO headquarters in Dammam yesterday, Al-Yahya said the contracts also included training of Saudi personnel, both in the Kingdom and the US, in the operation and maintenance of the engines.
The agreements also included joint research projects to handle some operational and technical problems faced by the SRO. The Saudi railway office, under the deal, also organizes bilateral visits for its staff and experts from the US companies for the exchange of expertise and strengthen mutual relations.
SRO has 59 train engines, all manufactured in the US, Al-Yahya added.
He further said that mutual trade between the SRO and the American companies registered considerable increase over the past years, noting that last year alone, a SR20 million contract for the supply of eight electro-motive diesel (EMD) besides another contract worth SR53 million with Johnstown America Corporation for the supply of 200 coaches, were sealed.
Hernandez expressed satisfaction at the high level of mutual cooperation in the area of railways between the two countries. He also appreciated the Kingdom’s efforts to undertake huge railway expansion schemes.
Al-Yahya briefed the visiting delegation about SRO’s accomplishments and services aside from the Kingdom’s railway infrastructure plans.