Business & Money | Wednesday 25 February, 2015 12:47 am |

A consortium led by Serco Group has signed a contract with the Saudi Railway Company to provide management and technical support for its operations on the North South Railway (NSR).

The deal, worth around 120 million pounds ($185 million) to Serco over five years, is the firm’s first major rail contract in the country.
The consortium also includes Britain’s Network Rail Consulting and Freightliner Group, a leading rail freight operator in the UK with operations across Europe and Australia.
Serco will operate as prime contractor and provide technical support for passenger operations, while Freightliner Group will take lead responsibility for providing freight expertise and support and Network Rail Consulting will provide infrastructure technical support.

The NSR, at over 2,750 km in length, is one of the largest rail projects currently being developed worldwide.
The consortium will use its international expertise in rail operations to develop and implement operating procedures and systems, provide management and technical assistance, and deliver training and expertise to support the development of capabilities within SAR and its personnel, said a statement published in local media.