The government is searching for landlords of buildings that need to make way for the Haramain High Speed Rail Project (HHR), according to Dr. Jabarah Al-Suraisiry, Minister of Transport. He said that over 90 percent of the buildings that need to be expropriated are owned by unknown landlords. This has delayed the project, he added. Al-Suraisiry said the first phase of the HHR project is the civil works which includes the routes, bridges and tunnels. The second phase is building the train stations with the exception of the station at King Abdul Aziz International Airport which has already been completed. The third phase is manufacturing the train's locomotives, railway line and telecommunications. This part has been awarded to an international consortium consisting of 14 companies. The Saudi Gazette reported on Oct. 27 that Al-Shoula consortium won the second phase of the HHR. The consortium, which consists of a number of Saudi and Spanish companies, beat its French rival in the bidding for the $10 billion contract. The consortium comprises Spanish rail operator Renfe, Talgo, Adif, OHL and eight other companies, while the French consortium included French rail operator SNCF and Alstom. Spain has been a world leader in high-speed rail networks and now has the longest such system in Europe, ahead of France. The second phase of the HHR project includes the construction of railway tracks, installation of signaling and telecommunication systems, electrification, operational control center, and the procurement of 35 train sets. It also includes operation and maintenance for a period of 12 years. The project is a 444-kilometer high-speed inter-city rail transport system linking the holy cities of Makkah and Madina via King Abdullah Economic City in Rabigh and King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah.
