Saudi Railway orders 1,200 tank wagons from US Greenbrier

State-owned Saudi Railway Company (SAR) has placed an order with US-based Greenbrier Companies for approximately 1,200 railroad tank cars to support industrial mining operations led by Maaden at Waad Shamal Industrial City in the Sirhan-Turaif region of northern Saudi Arabia.

Greenbrier said in a statement on Thursday that it will build the wagons to US standards at its Wagony Swidnica subsidiary in Swidnica, Poland.

The wagons will transport molten sulphur and phosphoric acid. Delivery will commence in the second half of 2016, and conclude in 2017 and 2018, depending on the wagon type.

Greenbrier also plans to open offices in Saudi Arabia, which will be led by an on-site Greenbrier country manager and supported by project managers in Riyadh and Wa'ad al Shamal City.

"To support our current activities in the kingdom and secure future business opportunities there and in neighboring GCC states, we intend to hire and train Saudi employees who will create a sustained base of operations in Saudi Arabia," said William Furman, Greenbrier chairman and CEO.

SAR was established in 2006 by the kingdom’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), the investment arm of the finance ministry, to develop and operate passenger, general freight, and heavy haul services.