A joint venture of Saudi Binladin Group and Thales has been granted a SR2 billion ($534 million) contract by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) for work on the North-South Railway Project (NSRP).

The contract includes construction, infrastructure, and maintenance work for signalling and telecommunication networks over 994 to 1,118 miles of the railway line. The project is expected to begin this July and be completed in three years. Saudi Binladin Group is also working on a 358-mile stretch of track as part of the NSRP’s main construction package.