[+] Aussie Expertise On Board Saudi’s $32bn Rail Mega-Project

The Saudis don’t do things by halves, including infrastructure. The latest Arabian mega-project nearing completion is a $A32.5-billion ($US22-billion) mass transit system for the capital of the Gulf State, Riyadh, comprising 200km of railway track across six lines, 84 stations, and a bus system. Saudi Arabia, which has the second-largest proven oil reserves in the world, will host World Expo in 2030, and was the only nation to bid for the FIFA World Cup 2034. With the eyes of the world turning towards it, the county with the world’s 18th largest economy, decided to undertake a major redo of its capital’s transport infrastructure, saying sustainability would be a key factor. Design and tender on the project began in 2012. It is expected to open to passengers this year. ▲ A render of the Western Metro Station that is made of 20 per cent recycled materials and 20 per cent local materials. CaSE principal engineer Paul-Emile Durand worked on the Australian eastern seaboard, including the Bennelong Bridge across Homebush Bay in Sydney, before taking on the Riyadh Metro project as a sub-consultant with a US company. “The job was probably the largest metro system in construction at the time, so, just by its scale it was an unusual job,” Durand says. “There are much bigger metro systems, especially in big European cities, but this project involved launching six lines over 200km all at once, in one go. “Other similar projects would be completed over decades, with each line completed in turn.” The consortium in charge of Line 3, a 40km stretch, was a joint venture between WeBuild of Italy and Indian firm Larsen &amp; Toubro. The multi-disciplinary engineering consultant was IDOM of Spain. “The company I worked for at the time was International Bridge Technologies and intervened as IDOM’s sub-consultant to do the structural design of the 26km elevated viaduct on this line,” Durand says. “Whilst English was the project language; it was an advantage that I could speak Spanish to communicate more easily with ... IDOM. “In total, we provided 92,000 hours of engineering and drafting. I calculated that if a single person was taking care of this project, it would take 38 years.” ▲ The King Abdullah Financial District Metro Station has preferred parking for low-emitting and fuel-efficient vehicles. Working on the project from start to finish also had an impact on de-risking it, which was challenging in the earlier stages but became more efficient as time went on. “Often engineers only work on a small part of a project, so you don’t necessarily understand or need to know how the things we do on our phase affects the other phases,” Durand says. “On this project we were completing one phase and at the same time thinking ahead to the next phase and the potential issues we may face. “Decisions were therefore conditional on the consequences we may face at the next phase.” Durand says although worlds apart, Australia and Saudi Arabia have things in common. “For the past 15 years, Australia has been going through a very big infrastructure boom with some job budgets reaching into the billions,” Durand says. “That’s probably the commonality between the Middle East and Australia at the moment. “Pushing the conversation a bit further, it’s interesting to note that these are also areas of the world where resources are extracted, which I think contributes a lot to the prosperity of those countries. “So, it makes sense; they’ve got a lot of resources and hence the funds to complete these mega jobs.” ▲ A render of the STC Station that serves on two of the six lines of the Riyadh Metro. Once open, the Riyadh transport network will have a 1.7 million passengers a day capacity during initial operation, building to 3.6 million. It will connect the King Khalid International Airport and King Abdullah Financial District to universities and other precincts in the region. The four main stations are Qasr Al-Hukm District Station, King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD) Metro Station, Western Metro Station and STC Station. At the opening of the Real Estate Future Forum in Riyadh last week the Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs and Housing, Majid Al-Hogail, unveiled hopes for other developments. The minister set a housing target of 500,000 homes by 2030 and said 15 laws introduced in the past five years would boost transparency and investment in the region, according to Asharq Al-Awsat , the Arabic international newspaper headquartered in London. ▲ A render of one of four main stations, Qasr Al-Hukm District Station. Meanwhile in Australia, work continues on upgrading rail projects with the inland rail contractors signed last month. In Sydney, the M1 Northwest and Bankstown Line has a target opening date of August 4, providing trial runs go according to plan. This includes six new stations—Crows Nest, Victoria Cross, Barangaroo, Martin Place, Gadigal and Waterloo—along with new platforms at Central and Sydenham. In South Australia, testing has begun on a new spur rail line to Port Dock at Port Adelaide after a $51-million rebuild of the line. In Melbourne, the Airport Rail Line project is moving again after an impasse on the location of the airport station was solved while work on the suburban line started in February. In Brisbane, work continues on the Cross River Rail, a 10.2km line with new stations and precincts due to be completed in 2025 ahead of services commencing in 2026. And a new Sunshine Coast rail line from the hinterland to the beach with six stations was announced this year. 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[+] Aussie Expertise On Board Saudi’s $32bn Rail Mega-Project

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