French government-backed RATP Dev is understood to be the preferred bidder to operate and maintain lines 1 and 2 of the under construction $23bn Riyadh Metro.

According to a source familiar with the scheme, the client, Arriyadh Development Authority (ADA), notified on 17 September the French firm, along with the Flow Consortium, which won the O&M package for Riyadh Metro’s line 3, 4, 5 and 6, of their decision.

RATP Dev has not so far confirmed winning the contract.

The company, along with fellow French firm Keolis and local Hamad Group, make up RKH Qitarat; they are the consortium that won the €3bn ($3.5bn), 20-year contract to operate and maintain the first phase of the Doha Metro and Lusail light rail networks last December.

Construction works on the Riyadh Metro are expected to be completed in late 2019, while the Doha Metro will be launched in stages between the end of 2018 and 2020, when construction work is expected to be completed.

The Riyadh Metro network will be 176.5 kilometres long, inclusive of 7.8km of common section for Line 4 and Line 6, with underground, elevated and at-grade sections. It will have a total of 85 stations and 25 park-and-ride locations. The Doha Metro, on the other hand, will run to over 75km of track and have 37 stations.

On 18 September, the Flow Consortium, comprised of France’s Alstom, and Italy’s Ansaldo STS and Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane, announced winning the $2.9bn, 12-year operation and maintenance (O&M) contract for lines 3, 4, 5 and 6 of the Riyadh Metro.

The 12-year contract covers the mobilisation stage.

According to Alstom, the rolling stock and systems infrastructure maintenance accounts for more than $850m of the total contract.

Alstom’s scope of work within the Flow Consortium will include full maintenance of the transit system, including trains provided by Alstom for lines 4,5 and 6, as well as those provided for line 3; this is in addition to fixed installations such as tracks, signalling, communication, passenger information systems and power supply.