The new railway will link the Saudi capital Riyadh with important harbour cities such as Jubail as well as industrial mineral mining, farmland and residential areas across Saudi Arabia.
COWI was in charge of the overall project design review with construction works being carried out by Saudi, Chinese, Russian and Australian contractors. Besides challenges with the length of the railway line, the Saudi Arabian climate and natural environment have presented additional challenges to the project team.
Wide scope
COWI carried out review of the entire project design including the operation plan which establishes, in part, the number of trains and maintenance depots as well as the design basis on which maximum speeds, geometric requirements, etc. were established.
Furthermore, COWI were reviewing alignment embankment designs and design of structures.
Loose sand will bury the tracks
The loose sand in the desert was another challenge to the project.
Large sand dunes move, and can potentially, bury the tracks. In some places, the railway traverses large depressions or extremely high embankments. When constructing the embankments, substantial quantities of sand are transported before slopes of the embankments were lined with clay transported over long distances. The cohesive clay material protects the embankments from wind erosion.
