Business & Money | Tuesday 15 May, 2018 11:39 am |

Savage Saudi Arabia (Savage) has delivered a total of seven locomotives and two locomotive booster units from the United States to Saudi Arabia’s Eastern and Northern Provinces, to support rail operations at Saudi Aramco and Ma'aden Wa'ad Al-Shamal Phosphate Company (MWSPC) facilities. Savage will own, operate and maintain the two Tier-3 compliant, low-emissions locomotives delivered to Saudi Aramco’s Wasit and Berri Gas Plants, in the Jubail area. Savage also delivered five GP38-3 locomotives and two booster units to MWSPC’s new mining and processing plants in Wa'ad Al-Shamal Industrial City and Ras Al Khair Industrial City. 

The locomotives and booster units were imported by ship from Houston, Texas (USA) to the Port of Dammam, Saudi Arabia, and hauled by tractor-trailers to their final destinations. Savage has an agreement to provide rail switching, track maintenance, and track signaling system operations and maintenance for Saudi Aramco at its Wasit and Berri Gas Plants. These services will help facilitate the transportation of molten sulphur by rail to MWSPC’s facilities for use in producing phosphate fertilizers. On the receiving end, Savage is providing training for locomotive operations and maintenance to facilitate handover to MWSPC, who owns and operates the units. 

“The delivery of these locomotives highlights the continued emphasis the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is placing on the development of railroad infrastructure and diversification of industry,” said Troy Savage, Senior Vice President and Executive Manager for Savage Saudi Arabia. “We’re pleased to operate one of the first industrial rail switching facilities in Saudi Arabia and are committed to providing excellent service for our customers.”