JEDDAH: The Saudi Railway Company (SAR) said a Chinese contractor’s operational mistake of not obtaining clearance when its train was on the rail track caused a phosphate train to derail last year in Hail region during a test trip.
SAR Executive President Rumaih Al-Rumaih said the accident that took place in August 2011 did not cause much loss.
The company said the accident occurred during the initial test operation of the train.
“There is no connection between the accident and the railway infrastructure,” Al-Rumaih said. The Chinese contractor’s train was moving faster than the company’s 104-car one, and the driver of the former did not see the company’s train.”
Phosphate losses occurred as a result of the accident. Two cars at the rear of SAR’s train were damaged. The two cars were separated and the train continued its trip toward the Rass Al-Khair area without delay and with the railway intact.
The accident was documented and the contractor will bear the losses,” he told a newspaper yesterday.
Al-Rumaih said that SAR’s agreement with Maaden company obliged SAR to start the initial operation stage last May, but the former Indian operation contractor did not cooperate in terms of increasing efforts to meet the deadline. This forced SAR to terminate its contract with the Indian contractor and strike a new agreement with Australian Barclay Mowlem to oversee the operation process.
SAR said that the mining train has been operating for over a year and the quantities transferred amounted to 1.5 million tons of phosphate.
He said the problem of sand on the rail track is being solved through a set of procedures the company is discussing with its contractors and consultants.
Responding to a question on the company not exceeding 20 percent in terms of Saudizing technical jobs, Al-Rumaih said the industry is new in the country. However, the company has recruited engineers and sent them for training to top agencies around the world.
SAR has also struck an agreement with the Technical and Vocational Training Corporation to found an institute specialized in the railway industry. Saudis constitute 60 percent of personnel, but not technical at positions.
Hail phosphate train accident due to contractor’s error
