By rosebell
The Riyadh Metro network was officially inaugurated on Wednesday by King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.
As Saudi Arabia’s first underground railway project, this network is the Middle East’s largest metro system and includes six fully-automated lines covering a combined length of 176km and 85 stations. Involving more than 13 companies from around the world, and for many, this project was one of the largest projects undertaken.
While the responsibilit of delivering the Blue Line (Line 1) and Red Line (Line 2) was up to the BACS consortium comprising Bechtel, Almabani General Contractors, Consolidated Contractors Company and Siemens, the Orange Line (Line 3) was constructed by Arriyadh New Mobility (ANM) comprising Webuild, Bombardier, Ansaldo, Larsen & Toubro, Nsma & Partners and WorleyParsons and the Yellow Line (Line 4), Green Line (Line 5) and Purple Line (Line 6) was under the manage of the FAST consortium, led by FCC with Samsung Samsung C&T, Alstom, Freyssinet Saudi Arabia, Atkins, Typsa and Setec.
According to Bechtel chairman and CEO Brendan Bechtel: “The project pushed the boundaries of what was possible.Since breaking ground in 2014, the Riyadh Metro has been the world’s largest rail project under construction over the past decade or so – not to mention one of the largest in Bechtel’s history. The job site spanned 800m2, an area bigger than New York City.”
“While the Metro was a triumph of engineering, it was also a monument to collaboration and co-ordination, involving tens of thousands of people from different companies, cultures, and nationalities,” says Bechtel.
“The Riyadh Metro would transform travel in Saudi Arabia. As one of the most complex projects that Bechtel has ever undertaken, I am especially proud of our team for overcoming many technical challenges and completing this project with the utmost skill and ingenuity. Bechtel is honoured to have played a leading role in delivering this iconic metro network,” said Darren Mort, president of Bechtel’s infrastructure business.
Celebrating company’s role in the project, Webuild chief executive Pietro Salini stated: ” We are very proud to have contributed to such an important project, supporting the development of a strategic piece of infrastructure for both the Kingdom and its capital city. The Riyadh Metro is the mirror of a city where tradition embraces modernity. The network will meet the needs of the Kingdom’s rapidly growing capital city, improving the quality of life of residents, helping to reduce congestion, and improving overall air quality. The project also serves as a model for new sustainable infrastructure, combining engineering excellence with aesthetic beauty.”
The scheduled date for openning this metro in phases is over the next two months and the Blue, Yellow and Purple lines is due to commence passenger operations on December 1, followed by the Red and Green lines on December 15 and the Orange line on January 5.
