Siemens joins China bid for Saudi rail link

[FarCenter]

By Jamil Anderlini in Beijing

Published: March 16 2010 13:56 | Last updated: March 16 2010 18:50

Siemens has dropped a bid to supply trains and equipment for the $7bn Mecca-to-Medina high-speed railway line project in Saudi Arabia, opting to join a Chinese consortium bidding for the work.

In a sign of the growing global competitiveness of Chinese rail manufacturers, Siemens abandoned its own bid as part of a consortium with the Saudi Binladin Group.

Instead, it has joined a bid led by state-owned China South Locomotive & Rolling Stock Corporation for the second phase of the Haramain high-speed rail project, according to people familiar with the situation.

Siemens will provide signalling and electrification equipment to the Chinese consortium, which also includes China Railway Construction Corp and the Beijing Railway Administration.

The 450km railway will link Islam’s two holiest sites via the port of Jeddah and will ease congestion during the annual Hajj pilgrimage, when more than 2.5m people make the journey to Mecca.

<SNIP>http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/ae804264-30fa-11df-b057-00144feabdc0.html

[HeresyLives]

1. Guess the Chinese are doing fine after all.

:rofl: