Rail transport in Saudi Arabia

Rail transport in Saudi Arabia is a growing sector of the country's transportation system, encompassing intercity, metro, and freight rail networks.

Rail transport in Saudi Arabia
النقل بالسكك الحديدية في السعودية

Haramain High Speed Railway

Operation

National railway

Saudi Arabia Railways

Track gauge

Main

1,435 mm (4 ft 81⁄2 in)

Map
Map of rail transport in Saudi Arabia as of 2009, including planned lines

History

The first railway in the Arabian Peninsula was the Hejaz railway, constructed by the Ottoman Empire from Damascus to Medina. This 1,050 mm (3 ft 5+11⁄32 in) Narrow-gauge railway opened in 1908 but was closed in 1920 due to the Arab Revolt.

Modern railways were introduced in Saudi Arabia after World War II to transport goods for the Arabian American Oil Company, or Aramco (now Saudi Aramco), from ports on the Persian Gulf coast to warehouses in Dhahran. Construction began in September 1947, and the first line was inaugurated on 20 October 1951. Subsequent development projects included extending the line to Riyadh, building several passenger terminals, and opening a dry port in Riyadh.

The Saudi Railways Organization was merged with the Saudi Railway Company to form the new Saudi Arabia Railways on 1 April 2021.

National rail network

Passenger Network

West Train (Haramain High Speed Railway)

Medina – King Abdullah Economic City – Jeddah – Mecca

North Train (Riyadh–Qurayyat railway)

Riyadh – Majmaah – Hail – Al-Qassim – Al-Jawf – Qurayyat

A separate luxury service, the Dream of the Desert Train, also operates along this route.

East Train (Dammam–Riyadh railway)

Dammam – Hofuf – Abqaiq – Riyadh

Freight Network

North–South railway: Primarily used for transporting minerals, phosphate, and industrial goods. Shares infrastructure with the Riyadh–Qurayyat railway.

Dammam–Riyadh railway: Used for bulk freight and container traffic between the eastern port of Dammam and Riyadh. branches with the Dammam–Riyadh passenger railway

Saudi Landbridge Project: Currently under development; planned to link the Red Sea port of Jeddah with Dammam to enable faster freight movement across the country.

International rail links

Saudi–Qatar High Speed Railway – A proposed high-speed railway connecting Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
Gulf Railway – A proposed network linking the member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council.

Metro systems

Riyadh Metro – A rapid transit system serving the capital city, Riyadh.

Mecca Metro – A seasonal metro system primarily serving pilgrims during the Hajj.

Jeddah Metro – A proposed metro network intended to serve Jeddah.

Medina Metro – A proposed metro network intended to serve Medina.

Dammam Metro – A proposed metro system planned for the Dammam metropolitan area.