The Bechtel-led BACS consortium has started tunnelling work on line 1 of the Riyadh Metro in Saudi Arabia.

The consortium, which also comprises the local Almabani General Contractors, Athens-based Consolidated Contractors Company (CCC), Germany’s Siemens, and US-based Aecom, was awarded the $9.45bn contract in July 2013.

The contract involves design, construction rolling stock and signalling for lines 1 and 2 of the project.

In March, MEED reported that Malaysia’s Eversendai Corporation had won a $54m contractfrom the BACS consortium.

Eversendai’s contract is for the construction of the east, north and south depots, which involves the connection design, supply, fabrication, erection of steel work, and application of intumescent fire proofing; inclusive of complete envelope cladding works for roofing and walling.

The planned metro network features six lines (Blue, Green, Red, Orange, Yellow and Purple). It will have 85 air-conditioned stations. The six lines will have a total length of 180 kilometres.

The metro scheme is part of Riyadh’s Public Transport Project (PTP) plan, approved by the Council of Ministers in 2012. The plan has been prepared by the Arriyadh Development Authority.