TCDD bids for operation of Mecca-Medina high-speed rail

A Turkish State Railways (TCDD), Siemens and Saudi BinLadin Group consortium is one of the four consortia competing to sign a deal for the superstructure project of the railroad. The railroad’s substructure is being constructed by a Chinese firm.

The consortium will offer a technical bid for the project in January and a financial bid will be presented in June, said the officials. According to the plan, Siemens will set up the signalization system, the Saudi BinLadin Group will undertake the superstructure construction and the TCDD will operate the high-speed train for a period of 12 years on a 450-kilometer track from Mecca to Medina, an area only Muslims can enter.