NEOM advances contracts to excavate 2 tunnels of 28 kilometers each in the futuristic Saudi megacity THE LINE of $500 billion The Saudi project NEOM advanced in May 2026 contracts for excavation by drill & blast method of 2 tunnels approximately 28 kilometers each, dedicated to high-speed rail and freight services, as announced by Limak.

The tunnels are part of the THE LINE project — a 170 km long linear urban corridor in the northwest of the kingdom, financed with about $500 billion by the Saudi crown. According to the NEOM Company’s schedule, the tunnels will connect logistical hubs of the futuristic project, with trains reaching speeds of up to 180 km/h.

In parallel, the megacity plans to house 9 million inhabitants in a straight corridor between mountains and the Red Sea. According to specialized coverage, it is one of the largest urban infrastructure projects ever attempted in the 21st century.

The NEOM railway tunnels will be excavated using the drill & blast method, instead of tunnel boring machines (TBM). Firstly, the method is cheaper in hard and dry rock, common in the Hejaz. Secondly, it allows simultaneous construction from multiple fronts, accelerating the schedule.

According to technical data, each tunnel will have a diameter of 14 meters, sufficient space for 2 parallel tracks + a side maintenance platform. Similarly, the ventilation and drainage system needs to be sized for the extreme temperatures of the Saudi desert — which can reach 50°C on the surface.

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