Sener Wins Design Contract for Saudi Arabia's $26.6 Billion Landbridge Railway

Spain's Sener engineering group has been awarded the design consultancy contract for the Saudi Landbridge, a 1,500 km mixed freight-passenger railway connecting the Red Sea port of Jeddah to the Arabian Gulf ports of Dammam and Jubail. SAR awarded the contract to a consortium comprising Sener, Hill International, and Italferr.

A High-Performance Corridor

Operating under ETCS Level 2 signalling, the line will support freight trains at up to 160 km/h and passenger services at up to 250 km/h. Once operational in 2034, it is expected to handle over 50 million tonnes of freight annually — making it one of the busiest rail freight corridors in the Middle East.

Vision 2030's Logistics Backbone

The Landbridge is a centrepiece of Saudi Vision 2030's transport diversification strategy. By linking the Red Sea and the Arabian Gulf by rail, Saudi Arabia positions itself as a resilient overland transit hub between Asia, Africa, and Europe — a strategic priority that has grown more urgent since Red Sea shipping disruptions began in 2023.

The Sener-led team is responsible for the full engineering design of the corridor, covering alignment and civil works, track, signalling, stations, and freight terminal integration across 1,500 km of desert terrain.

At $26.6 billion, the Landbridge ranks among the most ambitious rail investments currently underway worldwide.

Sources : Construction Business News ME, Saudi Gazette, Trade Arabia — April 2026