Webuild has announced that its consortium signed a contract worth EUR1.4 billion (US$1.5 billion) to design and build 57 km of a high-speed railway in NEOM, along the north Red Sea coast of Saudi Arabia.

The consortium is made up of Webuild and Shibh Al Jazira Contracting Company (SAJCO). The contract covers the design and construction of the majority of the connector, a railroad linking Oxagon, Neom's center of excellence and clean manufacturing, with Line, the city of the future. The contract also covers viaducts, road bridges, road and rail underpasses to enable train speeds of up to 230 km/h. The joint venture agreement is split 70/30, where 70% remains with Webuild, through the local subsidiary and Salini subsidiary in Saudi Arabia, and 30% with SAJCO. The companies will be responsible for the construction of 2 high-speed and two freight rail tracks, with Webuild leading the work.

The Neom railway line is designed for a 20-min trip from end to end. It will be built underground and will be controlled by the latest wireless control and security technologies. The line will be used for passenger traffic between the 2 terminals. It will be 170 km long, just like the linear city, which will be only 200 m wide and 500 m above sea level. The project is part of a larger Neom region project.