Rail transport in Saudi ArabiaRail Transport in Saudi ArabiaRail transport in Saudi Arabia is an expanding mode of transport. Saudi Arabia Railways is the national railway operator. The Saudi Railways Organization was also formerly a major operator, however it was merged into the Saudi Railway Company (now Saudi Arabia Railways) in 2021. Rail Transport in Saudi History The first railway in Arabia was the Hejaz railway, constructed by the Ottoman Empire from the Damascus to Medina. This 1,050 mm (3 ft 5+11⁄32 in) narrow gauge railway opened in 1908, but closed in 1920 due to the Arab Revolt. Modern railways were introduced in Saudi Arabia after World War II, to facilitate the transport of goods for the Arabian American Oil Company, or Aramco (now Saudi Aramco), from ports located on the coast of the Persian Gulf to warehouses in Dhahran. Construction began in September 1947, and the first line was inaugurated on 20 October 1951. Several development projects have been completed since then, including an extension of the line to Riyadh, construction of several passenger terminals, and the opening of a dry port in Riyadh. The Saudi Railways Organization was merged into the new Saudi Arabia Railways on 1 April 2021. In Riyadh an extensive metro system is under construction from 2014, with six lines of 176 km (110 miles) all due to open in 2023. Rolling stock will be from Siemens, Alstom and Bombardier. One line in Saudi Arabia, an 18km (11 mile) line from Makka, Mecca operates for only one week a year for pilgrims only during the annual Hajj pilgrimage. It uses 17 twelve-car Chinese EMUs. An automated 11.5 km (7 miles) elevated metro to the Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University for Women in Riyadh, uses 22 two-car trains built in Italy by Ansaldo Breda in 2011-12 and is operated by Hitachi Rail. It is only accessible to women. Advertisements for 32 women driver trainees (in a country where women could not drive cars until fairly recently) attracted 28,000 women applicants! To cope with the heat and drifting sand, locomotives are fitted with sophisticated air filtration and cooling systems - and sand ploughs. Rail Transport in Saudi Network Haramain High Speed Railway The Haramain High Speed Railway opened to the public on 11 October 2018, it links the Muslim holy cities of Medina and Mecca via the King Abdullah Economic City and Jeddah. The line was designed for a top speed of 350 km/h (220 mph), and with a service speed of 300 km/h (190 mph). Saudi Landbridge A new railway, called the Saudi Landbridge, will connect Jeddah on the Red Sea coast with the Saudi Arabian capital Riyadh. Dammam–Riyadh Line The Dammam–Riyadh Line links Dammam with Riyadh. The passenger line started operation in 1981 and is 449 km long, and has four stations. It was formerly operated by the Saudi Railways Organization. SAR Riyadh-Qurayyat Line The SAR Riyadh-Qurayyat line was built in 2012 and opened in 2017, it begins at Riyadh and runs northwest toward Al Haditha near the Jordanian border, passing through Majma’a, Qassim, Hail and Al-Jawf. Both passenger and freight services are operating on this line. There are six passenger stations on the line which are in Riyadh at King Khaled International Airport, Majma’a, Qassim, Hail at Prince Abdulaziz Bin Mussa’ad Economic City, Al-Jawf, and Al-Qurayyat. North-South line The North-South line runs from Al-Jalamid mine in the Northern province and then passes through Al-Jawf and Hail until Al Baithah Junction in Qassim province. The line then travels east to the processing and export facilities in Ras Al Khair in the Eastern Province. This line will be used solely by freight trains. Saudi Rail Links to Adjacent Countries Same Gauge (1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)
The Saudi Public Transport Company (SAPTCO), known by its abbreviation SAPTCO, established in 1979 by a royal decree, operates a fleet of more than 4,500 vehicles with multiple routes throughout the kingdom. It transports approximately 8 million people monthly between the major cities of the kingdom. In addition to the transnational routes, SAPTCO also operates 10 international routes which transport approximately 500,000 people between the kingdom and the neighbouring Gulf states. SAPTCO operates special bus services during the Hajj pilgrimage, which carry approximately 15,000 pilgrims between the holy sites. One of Saudi Arabia's most sophisticated bus networks is that of the city of Medina, with 10 lines connecting different regions of the city. It serves approximately 20,000 passengers on a daily basis. SATPCO buses are gender-segregated. Taxis are available in all major cities of the kingdom, in addition to the presence of private companies that offer vehicle hiring services, such as Uber and Careem, which is a subsidiary of Uber. A reflection of gender inequality, men travelling solo may sit in the passenger seat, but women are expected to sit in the rear seat. Before the reform in early 2020, Saudi cabs did not have meters, the price was agreed to up front and trips had to be booked in advance because of a 2012 "no hailing" regulation. Women had also been required to be accompanied by a male relative or another woman. The Makkah Mass Rail Transit, also known as Mecca Metro, became the first rapid transit system to enter operation in Saudi Arabia after the completion of the Al Mashaaer Al Muqaddassah (S) line in 2010. Other rapid transit systems currently in development in the kingdom include:
Rail transport in Saudi Arabia National Railway: Saudi Arabia Railways Rail transport in Saudi Arabia Track Gauge Main: 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) | |||||
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