“NEOM” PROJECT

The Connector South Detailed Design 

In 2023, FS Engineering, acting as a sub-consultant to the WSS Joint Venture (comprising Webuild S.p.A., Salini Saudi Arabia Co. Ltd., and Shibh Al Jazira Contracting Company), was commissioned to deliver the detailed design for the "South Connector". This was part of a Design & Build contract awarded by NEOM Company, an entity established by the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF). The railway alignment runs along the Saudi Red Sea coast, providing a vital link to NEOM’s primary residential and commercial zones, including the linear city "THE LINE".

The scope of work entrusted to FS Engineering specifically covers a strategic section of the railway network known as "The Connector". This infrastructure is designed to link NEOM's southern boundary at chainage NIC 00+000 with the main rail backbone, "The Spine", at approximately chainage NIC 85+000. The detailed design delivered under this contract spans between chainages NIC 20+000 and NIC 77+200 (Connector South).

The project aims to seamlessly integrate the passenger and freight services of "The Connector" with the primary rail infrastructure of "The Spine", which forms the backbone of NEOM's transport network. The latter extends from the coastal region of Sharma, traversing desert plains, mountainous terrain, and the Upper Valley Region, through to the new NEOM International Airport.

Specifically, the design encompasses approximately 230 km of mixed-traffic rail lines, supporting freight operations at speeds up to 120 km/h and passenger services up to 230 km/h. The civils infrastructure includes approximately 39 km of railway embankments, 16 km of cuttings, 150 drainage culverts, 6 rail viaducts, and 8 overbridges, two of which feature long-span designs.This represents a project of unprecedented scale, where engineering innovation and infrastructure design are tested by the harsh conditions of the Red Sea coastal desert. The project successfully overcomes severe environmental challenges, including extreme temperatures, high winds, shifting sand, and complex terrain that transitions rapidly from coastal flats to desert and mountainous landscapes.