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S.R.O. commissioned
Technital with the task of planning the three train stations of Riyadh, Hofuf,
and Dammam in connection with the realization of the new driect line between
Riyadh and Dammam. The works on the
three stations were contracted in 1983, directed by Technital, and completed in
1991. From a technical point of view,
the station of Riyadh is decidedly the most important.
The location of the
Riyadh train station was decided after all of the main access routes to the
city and the necessities concerning the location of the railway facilities had
been taken into consideration. In the end,
the decision was made to place the new station approximately 200 meters east of
the preexisting one.
The complex of railway facilities extends throughout a vast area
involving a 4 km. stretch of the railway line from Hofuf. At the beginning of this last 4 km. stretch from Hofuf, a switchyard was
planned to the left of the main line, in order to permit stops and the
composition of goods trains which, according to the original scheme, were to
reach Dammam by way of the line for Al Kharj and Haradh which therefore
destined the new line principally to passanger trains. The station plan has a total of 10 tracks.
The planimetry of
the infrastructures was studied in order to give maximum importance to the
station building while permitting optimization of space available, connections
with city access roads to the station,
and the location of the parking lot and pedestrian transit. The parking areas include spaces for
passenger use, a taxi zone, a bus zone, and a special parking area for
representative vehicles.
The station building is composed of a part which includes the external front
portico and a central core which occupies the basement where the passenger
facilities are located. Two wings are
connected to the central core, one for offices, and the other for police and
representative services.
The vertical support
structure has a series of arches placed lengthwise on a reticular
structure. All of the building
materials were prepared on site in
reinforced concrete. The building is
partly covered in colored marble.
Other prefabricated
building elements were also utilized like, for instance, the frame which
completes the entire front of the building and the "brise
soleil" screen grids which in some
cases close the top part of the arches.
The plant facilities
are located in a particular area which is divided into two parts; an underground part which includes the
thermoelectric steam power plant, the air-conditioning unit, and the water
supply tanks; and one part on the surface which includes an electricity and
water substation and a tank. The project had furthermore foreseen all of
the plants for the distribution of electricty and water, the sewage and
drainage systems, the tank and the distribution network for G.P.L. liquid gas,
the heating plant and air-conditioning.
Furthermore,
provisions were made for a system of clocks, a closed circuit television
system, a speaker system and last of all, an information system with train
arrivals and departures.
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More :
·
Renewal
of existing line ·
New
direct line ·
Maintenance
facilities
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