Bombardier Transportation, the leading Canadian rail manufacturer, has signed contracts worth 281 million Euros (SR 1.4 billion) with Spanish Talgo Company to develop and supply components for 36 high-speed trains for Haramain High Speed Rail project. The rail will link the two holiest cities of Makkah and Madinah.
Saudi Railways Organization (SRO) recently awarded a contract to build and operate the 450-kilometer-long project to Talgo, which is a member of Shoula consortium led by RENFE, the Spanish company specialized in operation of railway lines.
According to the Bombardier-Talgo deal, Bombardier will provide Mitrac traction and control packages and Flexx Power car bogies for the 36 Talgo trains currently built for the Haramain Rail Project.
The deal will also include 12-year maintenance service contract for the systems and components to be built by Bombardier at its plant in Trápaga, Spain, the company said.
The Canadian company said the technology is similar to that of the 46 AVE 102 and AVE 112 trains developed and built for RENFE between 2001 and 2010.
Bombardier has delivered four different generations of TGV in France, the ICE trains used in Germany and the Netherlands, Italy’s ETR 500 and V300ZEFIRO, Spain’s AVE 102 and AVE 112,
China’s Xinshisu, the Bombardier Zefiro family of high-speed trains and Acela in the US. In July, the Saudi- Spanish consortium obtained a SAR 3.04 billion ($ 811 million) loan facility from Spanish banks needed to commence the project.
The loan was syndicated through Spanish banks BBVA, Banesto, Banco De Sabadell and CaixaBank as well as Spanish operations of Credit Agricole and Deutsche Bank.
The Shoula consortium is composed of two Saudi Arabian and 12 Spanish companies, including Spanish rail operator Renfe, Obrascon Huarte Lain, Talgo and Adif, as well as eight others.
Deal to supply components for Haramain rail project signed
