Saudi Railways Organisation (SRO) has signed a $4.3bn agreement with a branch of China Railway Construction Corporation (CRCC) for the renewal of the second phase of a freight rail link between Dammam and Riyadh.

The contract, which will see CRCC work on the 91-kilometre route, is expected to last 23 months as renovations are carried out on phase two of the 480-kilometre-long rail link connecting Riyadh with Dammam.

Earlier in March, MEED reported that Spain’s Talgo was awarded a $200m contract to supply six trains to Saudi Railways Organisation (SRO) for use on the rail link connecting Riyadh with Dammam.

The new diesel-electric traction trains will help cut the travelling time between Riyadh and Dammam from four hours to three, with design speeds of 200 kilometres an hour (km/h).

The trains’ sealing systems have also been upgraded to block out the sand and heat so it can cope with travelling though atmospheric temperatures that can exceed 55 degrees Celsius. There will also be enhanced protection for windows and other external areas to counter the effects of abrasion from sand and dust.