沙特就与西班牙合作高铁项目发出最后警告

Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) (AFP) - Saudi Arabiahas givena "final warning" to avoid delays on an $8.2billionhigh-speed rail project which Spanish and Saudifirms are helping to build.

沙特吉达(法新社)——沙特已经对一个价值82亿美元的高铁项目的延迟问题发出警告，该项目由西班牙和沙特公司共同建造。

The Haramain High Speed Rail system is totransport Muslim pilgrims, as well as regulartravellers, 450 kilometres (280miles) between the holy cities of Mecca and Medina via the RedSea port ofJeddah.

这个哈拉曼高铁系统将用来运送穆斯林朝圣者和普通旅客，链接圣城麦加和麦地那，经由红海港口吉达，总长450公里。

Saudi Arabia signed a deal three years agofor a Spanish consortium to build the rail track,supply 35 high-speed trains andhandle a 12-year maintenance contract.译文来源:龙腾网HTTP://WWW.LTAAA.COM

沙特三年前签订了这个协议，让一家西班牙财团来建造这个铁路，并提供35列高速列车，以及一个12年的维护保养合同。

The Saudi Bin Laden Consortium and SaudiOger Joint Venture received contracts for fourstations, while Al-RajhiAlliance in 2009 won the bid to construct bridges, culverts and similarwork.

沙特本拉登财团和沙特沙乌地奥格合资公司获得其中四个车站的建设合同，而Al-Rajhi Alliance公司在2009年获得竞标来建造桥梁，涵洞以及类似的工程。

But during a two-day inspection tour lastweek, the kingdom's new Transport Minister Abdullahbin Abdulrahman al-Muqbelwarned that time was running out, his ministry said in a statementobtained onWednesday.

但是在上周的两天检查期间，沙特新交通部长Abdullah bin Abdulrahman al-Muqbel警告说时间已经不多。

After visiting the Mecca station andbridges along the route, Muqbel told the contractor -- whichwas not named --"to present an urgent plan to avoid delays within the next twomonths," byincreasing the workforce and supplies.

在查看麦加站和沿途的桥梁后，他要求承包商在未来两个月内拿出应急的计划以避免延期，即增加工人数量和供应量。

"This is also considered a finalwarning either to commit and improve performance or facetheconsequences," the ministry said.

“这也是最后的警告，要么提高效率，要么后果自负，”沙特交通部说。

Spain has become a world leader inhigh-speed rail networks and now has the longest suchsystem in Europe, aheadof France, which pioneered the technology.

西班牙在高铁技术上已经成为世界领导者，其高铁里程在欧洲位列第一，超过法国，而法国是高铁技术的先驱。

Saudi Arabia is expanding its railways,including with a $22.5 billion metro system underconstruction in the capitalRiyadh.

沙特正在扩张自己的铁路系统，包括首都利雅得正在进行的225亿美元的地铁系统。

A consortium involving Spain's FCC is partof that project.

承建该项目的财团中就包括了西班牙的FCC。

The annual hajj, which is to be held inSeptember next year, attracts about two million Muslimpilgrims to the Meccaregion.

每年的麦加朝圣会吸引来200万的朝圣者，下一次的麦加朝圣发生在明年九月份。