Static Flash Butt Welding Facility (CTW320 Sub - Project)

Client: Saudi Railway Company (SAR) / Al‑Ayuni Investment & Contracting Co. (AICC)

Location: Waad Al Shamaal, Saudi Arabia

Period: September 2015 – November 2016 (Facility constructed in four months and commissioned end‑December 2015, with welding operations running through to November 2016)

Narrative & Background

As part of CTW320, WOT undertook the design, fabrication, construction/erection, and commissioning of a purpose‑built static flash butt welding (FBW) facility. This was conceived as a critical sub‑project to enable the production of long welded rails (LWR) required for the 190km heavy haul track installation. The facility was designed to operate continuously, producing 250m rail strings from 25m delivered lengths.

Scope & Capabilities

• Full in‑house design and fabrication of plant components, welding line structures, and handling systems.

• Integration of a self‑feeding rail bed, descaling and cleaning units, flash butt welder housing, grinding and finishing stations, joint cleaning facilities, and dedicated NDT/QC stations.

• Fully automated roller feed system moving rail continuously from feeder bed through to NDT/QC station and into the 250m stockpile area under synchronised gantries.

• Synchronised gantry system for handling and stockpiling completed 250m rail lengths.

• Capacity to weld in excess of 14,500 joints within eleven months, exceeding the demands of the CTW320 programme.

Key Challenges

• Extremely tight timeframe: facility erected and commissioned within four months while rail deliveries to site were ongoing.

• Requirement to integrate global‑sourced components into a seamless production line under harsh desert conditions.

• Maintaining weld quality in extreme climatic variation — from sub‑zero snow in December to peak temperatures exceeding 50°C mid‑year.

• Necessity to operate both day and night shifts to stay ahead of production targets under these conditions.

Outcome & Benefits

• Delivered a continuous flow of 250m welded rails, ensuring uninterrupted mainline construction. - Achieved productivity and quality benchmarks that exceeded industry norms.

• Demonstrated WOT’s ability to innovate and execute complex infrastructure solutions beyond conventional construction.

• Cemented WOT’s reputation as not only a rail contractor but also a designer and builder of advanced rail production facilities