Tata Steel Rail Contract to Link Saudi Arabia's Two Holy Cities
08/08/2013 - Tata Steel has won an order to manufacture 60,000 tonnes of high-quality rail for a new high-speed line linking the two holy cities of Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia.
The new railway will allow millions of pilgrims to cross the 276 miles (444km) between the two cities at speeds of 200mph (320kmh). The line will cross desert, withstanding temperatures ranging from freezing to 50oC, as well as sand storms, flash flooding and shifting dunes.
Gérard Glas, rail sector head for Tata Steel, said: “This is a prestigious project which will see the holy cities being linked by rail for the first time.
“Tata Steel is delighted to be contributing to this high-speed line, which will have to overcome some major challenges presented by building a high-capacity rail line across some of the most extreme terrain in the world.”
Steel for the project will be made at Tata Steel’s Scunthorpe plant before being rolled into rail in lengths of 25 meters both there and at the company’s plant in Hayange, Northern France.
Work on producing the rail will start at the end of this year and is expected to continue throughout 2014.
