RAIL.ONE Group, international manufacturer of concrete sleepers and systems provider for railtrack infrastructure,
has successfully bid for delivery of an additional 600,000 concrete sleepers for contracted project section CTW 400 of
the North-South Line in Saudi Arabia.
The new contract includes the option of increasing the quantity delivered by a further 250,000 sleepers. During
2007 to 2009, RAIL.ONE, together with its joint-venture partner, Office 15 of Chinese Railways Construction
Corporation (CRCC), was contracted to manufacture and deliver 850,000 main-track sleepers as well as approximately 78,000 linear metres of turnout sleepers for project sections CTW 100 to 300 of this line.
The North-South Line project is a key undertaking of the Saudi Arabian government. Its objective is the construction of a 2,400km connection between the mining regions in the north-west of the country and Dammam. Implementation of additional railway projects, for example the Saudi Landbridge Project and the rail line between Mecca and Medina, will create a highly advanced rail network for freight and passenger traffic.
Top quality in a diversity of climate zones
For RAIL.ONE Group, the additional order for this project represents significant success for its concrete sleeper technology in the Near East. For this line, which is single-track for most of the stretch, specifications placed on technical sleeper design stipulate an axle load of 32.5 metric tonnes. In comparison, the maximum axle load in Germany is 25 tonnes. The RAIL.ONE Type AR 06 heavy-haul sleeper meets these strict demands thanks to its massive concrete body second by prestressing greater than that of standard European sleepers. In addition, production processes and concrete mix formulation have been adapted to local conditions.
Production of the 600,000 to 850,000 concrete sleepers takes place in Hail, 700km north of Riyadh, under management of the newly founded subsidiary RAIL.ONE Saudi Arabia. After completion of the existing supply contracts, production of concrete sleepers for the Saudi construction company Al Ayuni will begin in October 2010.
Growth potential in eastern regions
For Ralf Sobottka, president and CEO of RAIL.ONE, this contract is a significant step toward further internationalisation of the company. “Foreign business, especially involving countries of the MENA region and the
Emirates on the Arabian Gulf, represents for us, as sleeper manufacturers and systems provider, exceptionally exciting
markets which will demonstrate significant growth potential over the coming years,” he says. “Thanks to our unique product portfolio, our proven expertise and our broad positioning, we are well equipped to handle the effects of the still continuing economic crisis.”
RAIL.ONE is a provider of comprehensively oriented systems and engineering for the entire field of railway tracks with its many and varied requirements. With its patented RHEDA 2000® ballastless track system, the company has achieved an internationally leading position in the field of high-speed rail transportation. In addition, RAIL.ONE manufactures main-track and turnout sleepers made of concrete. In these areas, RAIL.ONE, as one-stop supplier and in close collaboration with its customers and partners, performs all activities involved in product development, manufacture, and application of concrete sleepers from engineering through to production, supply, and logistics and extending to quality management.
With over 800 employees in its production sites in Germany, China, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Spain, South Korea, Turkey, and Hungary, RAIL.ONE offers annual production capacity for 3.3 million main-track sleepers, as well as over 680,000 linear metres of turnout sleepers. The company achieves average annual sales of approximately €160 million.