The Saudi Arabia Railways 'SAR' is the owner company of both the fixed and movable operational assets, in addition to owning the infrastructure for railway projects in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for freight and passenger transportation between cities.
Establishment of Saudi Arabia Railways Company
The Saudi Arabia Railways Company 'SAR' was established in 2006, fully owned by the Public Investment Fund, to manage and operate the railway lines starting with the North Train project, spanning 2,750 km, at a cost of SAR10 billion.
Abolishment of the Saudi Railways Organization
In February 2021, the Saudi Council of Ministers issued a decision to abolish the Saudi Railways Organization and its law, to be replaced by the Saudi Railway Company 'SAR', effective April 1, 2021, under its new name 'Saudi Arabia Railways - SAR'.
The establishment of the railway and the development of 'SAR'
The establishment of the railway in the Kingdom dates back to the era of Founding King Abdulaziz Bin Abdulrahman Al Saud, who connected the port of Dammam to Riyadh with a railway line inaugurated in 1951. Since then, the railway has operated under the supervision of Aramco for a period of time, until it became affiliated with the Ministry of Finance and was named the Railway Authority. On May 13, 1966, a Royal Decree was issued approving the statute for the Saudi Railways Organization. Accordingly, the railway was transformed into a public institution with a legal personality, managed by a board of directors, and its general policies were formulated according to commercial principles.
The establishment and inauguration of the dry port
The idea of establishing and inaugurating the dry port in Riyadh emerged in 1981 when the imports through the King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam increased significantly after 1975. This led to severe congestion on the roads between Dammam and Riyadh.
The number of containers transported to Riyadh via the dry port witnessed continuous significant increases. There was a growing demand for the services provided by the port due to its cost-effectiveness, speed of operation, and ease of procedures perceived by customers. The volume of transportation multiplied several times since the start of the dry port's operation, reaching around 21,000 standard containers in both directions in 1981, and exceeding 318,000 standard containers in 2006.
The railway network in the Kingdom
In general, SAR owns three main railway networks: the Northern Railway, the Eastern Railway, and the Haramain High-Speed Railway. Additionally, SAR manages all operational activities for al-Mashaaer al-Mugaddassah Metro Line, with a total length exceeding 5,380 km.
The railway lines serve five ports. Two of them are in the city of al-Jubayl, in addition to King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam, the Dry Port in Riyadh, and Ras al-Khair Port, in addition to two mines.
SAR networks also include fifteen passenger stations, eight maintenance workshops, and fifteen maneuvering yards. They operate 220 trains for passengers and freight.
Networks and lines owned and managed by 'SAR'
The North Train is the longest integrated line in the world that utilizes the advanced European Train Control System Level 2 (ETCS L2), which is considered the best system for safely and reliably managing signals and movement.
The North Train network operates over a distance of 2,750 km. The passenger line of the North Train spans 1,250 km, starting from Riyadh towards al-Qurayyat, passing through al-Majma'ah, al-Qassim, Hail, and al-Jawf. On the other hand, the freight line of the North Train covers a total length of 1,550 km, extending from Hazm al-Jalamid through al-Jawf and Hail, reaching al-Ba'thyah intersection in al-Qassim, then proceeding towards the processing and export facilities in Ras al-Khair in the Eastern Province.
The North Train fleet for passengers comprises six trains, consisting of four daytime trains and two nighttime trains, all of which are bidirectional. Each train consists of two locomotives and eight passenger cars. The speed of the train reaches two hundred km per hour.
The East Train operates on a double-track passenger line spanning 733 km, connecting Riyadh to Dammam via al-Ahsa and Buqayq. Additionally, the East Freight line, spanning 550 km, connects King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam to the Dry Port in Riyadh, passing through al-Ahsa, Buqayq, al-Khubar, al-Kharj, Haradh, and at-Tawdihiyyah.
The East Train fleet comprises twenty-two trains, including twelve modern trainsets and ten classic sets, transporting passengers between Riyadh and Dammam via Buqayq and al-Hufuf. These trains have a maximum speed of 180 km per hour.
The Haramain Train, one of the top ten fastest electric trains in the world with a speed of three hundred km per hour, connects Makkah al-Mukarramah and al-Madinah al-Munawwarah via Jeddah and the King Abdullah Economic City, covering a distance of 449 km.
The Haramain High-Speed Rail includes thirty-five trains, each with a seating capacity of 417 passengers, and operates at a speed of up to three hundred km per hour.
Al-Mashaaer metro line, established in 2009, comprises eighteen trains operating at a speed of eighty km per hour. It operates between the holy sites of Mina, Muzdalifah, and Arafat, serving the pilgrims of the Grand Mosque.
The National Transport Strategy enhances railway development
The National Transport and Logistics Services Strategy aims to develop the railway sector. This is part of the projects undertaken by the transportation and logistics system to improve the efficiency of railways and achieve integration between their networks and all modes of transportation in the Kingdom. The total length of the network is 5,330 km, transporting approximately three million passengers annually.
'SAR' in international conferences
On September 25, 2022, SAR concluded its participation in the International Conference on Railway Transport Technology, Innotrans, held in Berlin, Germany. SAR signed ten cooperation agreements and memoranda of understanding with the aim of adopting different models and partnerships that contribute to the development of its operations, aimed at achieving its objectives. Among these agreements, SAR signed a memorandum of understanding with Nokia to explore digital transformation opportunities for railways and communication systems, and to enhance the utilization of infrastructure assets. Additionally, SAR signed a memorandum of understanding with the International Union of Railways to establish a working group for collaboration in studies, research, and sharing of engineering expertise between the two parties. Furthermore, to promote sustainable development in container spare parts, SAR and Progress Rail signed a memorandum of understanding to transfer knowledge to the national workforce through global experiences in the railway sector.
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