class freight and passenger rail link across the country, moving large quantities of cargo over long distances at competitive rates, Khalid Al-Yahya, president of the SRO said. He said during the recently concluded Saudi Mega Project Conference that the freight route expansion will integrate new lines from Jeddah Islamic Port, King Abdul Aziz Port in Dammam, and the Riyadh Dry Port. Both the passenger and freight routes of the Landbridge will entail the opening of over 1,000 km new railway track. Yahya said that during the phase of the freight concession, the Saudi government will initiate a tender for the passenger service concession. The freight concessionaire, however, will still be responsible for the construction of the track and signaling infrastructure required for running the passenger trains, including their maintenance. --MORE 1308 Local Time 1008 GMT
