Eng. Abdul Aziz Al Hokail, the President of Saudi Railways Organization (SRO) signed today a contract for railway shift project outside the urban area of Al Hofuf with one of the expert national companies in Al Hofuf Station, Al-Ahsa. This project will cost 659 million riyal. Al Hokail explained that the project includes building bridges and viaducts to insure the smooth flow of traffic in the railway crossroads with highways and each other in the new railway which must be connected to the direct line connecting Riyadh with the Eastern District. The President said "The railway shift project which will cross through Al-Ahsa Governorate outside the urban area is the best solution to connect the Eastern District to the Western District plus reducing the trip time between Dammam and Riyadh in order to avoid many crossroads in the Governorate". He adds "...the urban expansion in the governorates and other cities by the trains will lead us to reconsider the railways and crossroads in order to serve the aims and plans of the urban development in those cities". He implied that the establishment had contracted with some expert consultant bureau to prepare the studies and drawings in cooperation with international bureau which is experienced in railways projects. These drawings include the same next station which will not be shifted because it is near the malls, cultural centers and residential area; moreover, its design is considered an important landmark in the Governorate, that's why it will not be shifted. The President of SRO declared that most of the new railway will pass through governmental lands; so, it will help to accomplish the project quicker without expropriation. He referred that the budget of the establishment to accomplish this project will help them to execute it according to the highest international engineering standards of railways. He explained that the project will increase the trains speed and decrease the trip time. The railway No. 1 (passengers) will be ready for high-speed trains up to 200 km/hour. On the other hand, Al Hokail announced that the establishment recently approved many important projects which focus on the infrastructure and superstructure for the current network plus the expansion of the train passengers' services by approving new projects such as: 8 new trains which will be received in the next 7 months, developed sign system along the railways, 10 new locomotives, setting lots for assembling and loading containers, building new viaducts for all passenger railways and paving dirt road parallel to the railway in order to facilitate the arrival of ambulances, rescue teams and maintenance groups to all locations along the railway.
