Saudi Arabia’s Public Transport Authority (PTA) has invited firms to express interest and respond to a prequalification questionnaire (PQQ) by 19 January for the contract to provide operations and maintenance (O&M) services for the kingdom’s mainline railway networks.

The O&M services sought are split into three modules, namely infrastructure management, passenger operations and freight operations.

The request for proposals (RFP) is expected to be released in the first quarter of 2018.

According to the PQQ document seen by MEED, companies may request to be prequalified for either one or multiple modules of the privatisation process.

“It is the intention of the PTA to request RFP participants to submit a single proposal for the full scope,” the document said. “Companies prequalified for individual modules will be encouraged to form consortiums along with other prequalified companies for the rest of the modules.”

Specifically, the scope of works potentially includes the operation of freight and passenger services, management and maintenance of passenger stations, management and maintenance of dry ports, maintenance of rolling stock and signalling and telecommunications infrastructure.

The expression of interest (EoI) and PQQ documents concern the existing Riyadh to Dammam network and the current North to South Railway,  and potentially include schemes that are currently being planned, including the GCC rail line and the Saudi Landbridge project.

The opportunity excludes O&M services for the Haramain High-Speed Railway, which is expected to enter commercial operations this year and will be operated by the Spanish team of Adif and Renfe.

This offer comprises the initial phase of the kingdom’s programme to privatise its mainline railway sector.

It is understood the succeeding phases of the programme include developing several schemes, including the planned Saudi Landbridge project as well as the electrification of the Riyadh-Dammam network, as public-private partnership (PPP) projects.