Contractors are due to submit bids for a tender covering signalling works on the second track between Damman and Riyadh in Saudi Arabia.

The deadline is set for 2 February and five companies have been prequalified for the contract. These are:

• CAF (Spain)
• Dimetronic (Spain)
• Bombardier (Canadian)
• Mipro (Finland)
• Siemens (Germany)

Once bids are submitted, the contract is expected to be awarded in the third quarter of 2013.

Germany’s Siemens, as part of a consortium with Nour Communications Company of Saudi Arabia, won the contract to provide signalling and communications equipment for the first track between Damman and Riyadh in 2006.

The contract was worth €91m ($122m), with Siemens share being €59m. Work on this first package was completed in 2009.

There are two existing lines that connect the port city of Dammam and the capital, Riyadh. A 556km line for freight traffic was built in the 1950s and the 449km-line for passenger service was built in the 1980s.

The upgrading of these existing lines is part of phase one of Saudi Arabia’s rail masterplan.

The much-anticipated Saudi Landbridge line that will link up Riyadh, Jeddah, Damman and Jubail is a central component of this masterplan.  After a number of delays, the project management consultancy (PMC) contract was awarded to US firm Fluor in early January 2013.