The freight component of the Saudi Landbridge Expansion Plan has been opened for interested concessionaires under the build-operate-transfer (BOT) scheme, the Saudi Railways Organizations (SRO) announced. The Landbridge program, an unprecedented BOT project in the region, is made up of two components, namely, the passenger route expansion and the freight expansion from Eastern Province starting from Jubail Industrial City, traversing through Dammam and Riyadh Dry Port and onward to Jeddah Islamic Port. Of the two components, the freight expansion is now being offered first for concession by SRO. The Landbridge will be primarily a freight line for containers and general cargo, according to a report published today by Saudi Gazette. --MORE 1305 Local Time 1005 GMT
