The Saudi Railway Organisation (SRO) will construct a 660 km coastal railway line linking Jeddah and Jazan in Saudi Arabia
The new line will be established parallel to the international coastal highway that serves several major roads and the Jazan Economic City.
According to Reuters, the line would boost the economic, commercial and social development of the two regions.
Mohammed bin Khaled Al-Suwaiket, chief of SRO, said, ?We have drafted a strategic plan for railway expansion spanning 9,900 km and 19 railway lines. The dual line between Jeddah and southern Jazan would pass Shuaiba, Al-Laith, Madhleef, Qunfudah, Amq, Barak, Qahma, Shuqaiq and Sabya. It would be linked with the landbridge project that connects Riyadh with the Red Sea port city.?
SRO officials added that they have signed a contract with an engineering firm to conduct a feasibility study, including costs, number of passengers and cargo to be transported.
Shaikh Mohammed Rafik, chairman of Gammon Group, which is developing an industrial city in Jazan, added that the new railway would encourage foreign companies to invest in the new city as well.
