Developments were reported in Saudi rail systems, one relating to the North-South Railway and the other to the Riyadh monorail.

Electro-Motive Diesel (EMD), a North American company, has delivered 25 freight locomotives to Saudi Railway Company (SAR) which will be used in transporting minerals on the upcoming North-South line.

Bombardier Transportation has awarded Australia-based Vix ERG a 4.6-million-euro ($6.11 million) contract to supply its automated fare collection (AFC) system for the King Abdullah Financial District Monorail Project.

With the delivery of 25 freight locomotives of the SD70ACS type, the number of EMD locomotives operating in Saudi Arabia has risen to 72 locomotives.

The SD70ACS is a 4,500 BHP AC locomotive that includes an EMD IGBT AC drive system.  The locomotive features a pulse filtration system and movable sand plows on the pilot and trucks that make the SD70ACS ideal for Saudi Arabia’s extreme desert environment. These units are equipped with the EMD 710-T1 fuel-efficient diesel engine and the EM2000 microprocessor locomotive control system, as well as the ERTMS/ETCS train control equipment. 

The units are also equipped with a trademarked fire display system.  Crew comfort features that are being built into the locomotive are an isolated cab to reduce noise and vibration, air conditioning, refrigerator, toilet facility, hot plate as well as other features to make the locomotive a better and safer environment for the crew.

At the time the order was signed last year, EMD noted that as the majority of all diesel locomotives in the Middle East came from EMD, the company had used its great wealth of experience in designing locomotives for excellent operational capabilities for SAR.

According to Albert Enste, EMD’s vice president for international sales and service, “Saudi Arabia is a key market for EMD in the Middle East region” and that the company was looking for a longer relationship with SAR.

The North-South railway extends from Haditha on the Saudi border with Jordan to Riyadh, passing through Jouf, Hail, Qassim and Sudair. The railway will connect the northern region (Al-Jalamid belt) to the Hail province (Az-Zubaira) allowing the transportation of phosphates and bauxite to Ras Azzur in the eastern part of the kingdom and then to Jubail.

Founded in 1922, EMD is one of two US original equipment manufacturers of diesel-electric locomotives.  Headquartered in LaGrange, Illinois, with additional facilities in London, Ontario, Canada, EMD designs, manufactures and sells diesel-electric locomotives for all commercial railroad applications and has sold its products in more than 70 countries worldwide. The company is the only diesel-electric locomotive manufacturer to have produced more than 70,000 engines and has the largest installed base of diesel-electric locomotives in both North America and internationally.

In addition to its locomotive manufacturing activities, EMD has an extensive aftermarket business offering customer’s replacement parts and a range of value-added services for its locomotives. The company is also a global provider of diesel engines for marine propulsion, offshore and land-based oil well drilling rigs, and stationary power generation.

Monorail project
Australia-based Vix ERG, which was awarded the contract to supply the automated fare collection system by Bombardier Transportation, is a member of the Vix Technology Group of companies and a global player in the AFC and payments industry in transit. It delivers solutions ranging from turnkey solutions for small bus operators to large multi-operator, multi-modal solutions supporting large cities or entire countries.

As per the agreement, Vix ERG will install its award-winning eBrio AFC solution and also supply the fare gates, ticket vending machines, ticket office machines and associated equipment for the Innovia Monorail 300 System being installed by Bombardier, said a company statement.

Bombardier, a global leader in rail technology, offers the broadest portfolio in the rail industry and delivers innovative products and services that set new standards in sustainable mobility, said a top official.

The King Abdullah Financial District Monorail system has a rapid implementation schedule with revenue service scheduled to commence in 2012, he added.

The monorail will be a unique feature of the new King Abdullah Financial District, undertaken by Rayadah Investment Company and which will contain 40 towers. It features all the facilities, amenities, utilities and transport networks of a well-designed modern business district.  All buildings, system’s and six stations of the monorail will be integrated and linked together by a self-sustained air-conditioned skywalk system enabling pedestrian access to the entire development.

“This contract award in Saudi Arabia reinforces our position as a global leader in the supply and installation of AFC systems and we are glad to have the opportunity to work again with Bombardier in delivering the AFC portion of their monorail system supply project after having worked successfully with them on similar projects previously,” said Vix ERG CEO, Steve Gallagher.

Vix ERG has delivered solutions in over 200 cities or regions in 25 countries around the world including Melbourne, Oslo, Seattle, Stockholm, Salt Lake City, Sydney, Las Vegas, Aberdeen, Bordeaux, Strasbourg, Luxembourg, Brussels and Gothenburg.