RAIL.ONE GmbH, successful international manufacturer of concrete sleepers and systems provider for railtrack infrastructure, will participate in the coming years in construction of a new rail line in Saudi Arabia. The new line will connect the north of the country, rich in natural resources, with the Persian Gulf in the south. For the approx. 500 km part of the North-South Line in pro-ject section CTW 200, RAIL.ONE will deliver around 850,000 main-track sleepers, as well as 35,000 linear metres of turnout sleepers for project section CTW 100. RAIL.ONE Group and China Railway 15th Bureau Group (Bureau 15 of China Railways Construction Corporation) have signed a joint-venture agreement to implement these contracts.

CONCRETE SLEEPERS FOR HEAVY AXLE LOADS

For RAIL.ONE Group, this contract represents a significant milestone for its concrete-sleeper technology in the Middle East. The North-South Line, which will be constructed for the majority of the stretch as a single track, is dedicated exclusively to the transport of raw materials from the north of the country to the Persian Gulf. The specifications for sleeper design for this line call for an axle load of 32.5 metric tonnes. In com-parison, the maximum axle load required in Germany is 25 tonnes. The first prototypes have already been manufactured, and have successfully passed official German state approval testing at Munich Technical University.

CONSTRUCTION OF A SLEEPER PRODUCTION PLANT IN HAIL

Production of the concrete sleepers in Hail, approximately 700 km north of Riyad, will take place in accordance with the technique of late form re-moval with immediate bonding of the prestressing tendons. This technology enables manufacture of the sleepers with a maximum of produc-tivity and at highest quality levels. In addition to delivery of the production plant, RAIL.ONE is also responsible for introduction of the quality-management system in accordance with German standards. Production of the concrete sleepers will begin in April of 2008.

In its construction of production plants, RAIL.ONE can profit from long years of experience and is the only provider of industrial systems and solutions that can offer a selection of four different production techniques, which can be modified in accordance with special requirements. The RAIL.ONE combination of plant engineering and production expertise guarantees observance of the required high quality standard for the customer. For Richard Ziegler, CEO of RAIL.ONE GmbH, these contracts are of very special significance from various standpoints: “First, we intend for this joint-venture company to become established for long-term engagement in the large and growing market of the Arabian world. Secondly, this development represents essential steps for further interna-tionalization of our company.”