speed tender has entered the final stage prior to the award, which indicates that it may be given to the Spanish consortium headed by Renfe, which won this tender announced by the Government of Saudi Arabia in 2006 for the construction and operation of a high-speed line between Madina and Makkah, the Spanish Railway New online said Friday. The contract is worth €6,500 million, which includes operation of the line for a twelve year period. The high-speed line between Madina and Makkah is 450 km long and will be capable of 300 km/h. It will include the ERTMS Level 2 traffic control system. It will have five stations: Makkah, Jeddah, Jeddah Airport, KAEC (King Abdullah Economic City) and Madina. Those in charge of the Spanish consortium have been called to negotiate some of the technical details in the first half of August. The Spanish offer is competing with another finalist, the French consortium Al Rajhi Alliance, involving French Railways (SNCF) and Alstom, as well as a Saudi construction company. Another three groups did initially take part, one European group, the Saudi Bin Ladin Group (which Siemens and DB formed part of) and two Asian ones, the Badr Consortium (from Japan and Korea), and the CSR Consortium (led by the State Railways of China). Public companies control 49,87 percent of the capital in the Spanish consortium. Of these, the largest share is held by Renfe Operadora, with 26,9 percent of the shares; ADIF, with 21,5 percent, and Ineco, with 1,47 percent. 50,13 percent of the capital corresponds to private companies, such as Talgo (17,5 percent); the construction company OHL (6,21 percent); Dimetronic (5,18 percent); Indra (4,63 percent); Copasa (6,76 percent); Cobra (5,30 percent); Inabensa (1,40 percent); Imathia (2,21 percent); and Consultrans (0,94 percent). A local constructor is also part of the conglomerate. All the Spanish companies will have 88 percent of the company, with the Saudi partners having the remaining 12 percent (Al Shoula 7 percent, and Al-Rosan 5 percent). The participation of Spanish companies in the Saudi company will be through a Spanish special purpose entity, thereby ensuring a single view of the group and facilitating dialogue with the Saudi partner and SRO. Saudi officials are considering adding two more stations: one in a university and another in the so-called Sports City, the report said. As for the estimated demand, 166,000 passengers a day have been calculated, with peaks of 180,000 a year. Passengers would represent a figure of 74 million in the first year of operation, and more than one billion passengers during the 12-year contract, according to estimates by the Saudi authorities, the report added. The initial rolling stock order consists of 33 electric trains to be manufactured by Talgo entirely in Spain, and with an option to purchase 23 more. Trains are based on the Renfe 112 series trains equipped with Bombardier traction, as SRO demanded proven technology.
