The 1,392-km railway line between Hazm Al-Jalameed, Northern
Border Province, where phosphate mines are situated, and the industrial center
of Ras Al-Zour, Eastern Province, was opened in May. The railway also passes
through the mining areas in the provinces of Jouf, Hail and Qassim. The Saudi
Railway Company (SAR) completed the new rail line in May.
SAR also plans to link Riyadh with Haditha, on the border
with Jordan, with the construction of another line.
“The king’s order for a railway link is of vital importance
for the development of the Kingdom’s economy,” said Al-Assaf, who is also
chairman of the Public Investment Fund, which owns SAR.
The factories in a number of industrial cities in the north
and central regions of the country will be linked with eastern industrial ports
on the Gulf.
Assuring full cooperation to implement the plan, SAR
Chairman Mansour Al-Miman, said: “The new rail will connect the major
industrial facilities in Jubail, Ras Al-Zour and Northern Border Province with
King Fahd Industrial Port and Commercial Port in Jubail and the King Abdul Aziz
Port in Dammam. It will also enable passengers to travel between Riyadh,
Dammam, Jubail and Ras Al-Zour.”
The SAR originally planned to construct a 2,400-km railroad
with two major lines, Al-Miman added.
“While the first line to link mineral centers in the north
with industrial centers on the Arabian Gulf has already been completed, the
second line is meant for passengers and general goods movement between Riyadh
with Haditha city bordering Jordan and passing through Sudair, Qassim, Hail and
Al-Jouf,” he said.
He added that the second line would also have a branch line
to Al-Basita for the movement of farm products. There are railway stations
planned for Majama, Qassim, Hail, Al-Jouf and Qurayyat in addition to nine
stations for goods movement. The other major railway work currently under way
in the Kingdom is the SR42-billion Haramain Railway for high-speed rail between
Jeddah, Makkah and Madinah.
