SAUDI Railway Company (SAR) has invited pre-qualification bids for the construction supervision of Saudi Landbridge project that will link the port of Jeddah to Riyadh.

SAR, which is the Public Investment Fund’s railway development body, is expected to award the construction supervision consultancy contract to the successful bidder who will be responsible for verifying contractors’ contractual, safety and quality compliance, as well as quality surveying to verify applications for payment. The Landbridge will involve the construction of around 1,200 km of railway linking Jeddah to Riyadh, where it will connect with the existing Saudi Railways Organisation line to Dammam on the Gulf coast to provide a through route across the country.

Applications are to be submitted by July 22. SAR and its project management consultants Fluor Corp and Parsons Brinckerhoff are currently developing the contracting strategy and work package structure for the Landbridge project, which is expected to take 84 months from the start of the contract period to the end of the 12-month defects liability period.

Meanwhile, SAR expects to appoint an operating partner for its North-South Railway shortly, following the evaluation of bids from international consortia.