Saudi Arabia Railways

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Saudi Arabia Railways
الخطوط الحديدية السعودية
FormerlySaudi Railway Company
Industry Rail transport
Founded23 May 2006;19 years ago (2006-05-23)
1 April 2021;4 years ago (2021-04-01) (Current form)
Headquarters Diplomatic Quarter, Building S-24,
Riyadh
,
Saudi Arabia
Key people
Nabil Al-Amoudi (Chairman) [1]
Parent Public Investment Fund
Website www.sar.com.sa

Saudi Arabia Railways (SAR) is the national railway company of Saudi Arabia. It is a state-owned enterprise, owned by the PIF. [2] [3]

Contents

History

Saudi Arabia Railways, formerly known as the Saudi Railway Company, was established in 2006 to build, operate, and manage the North–South railway. [4]

In February 2021, approval was granted to merge the Saudi Railways Organization and the Saudi Railway Company. [5] The merger was completed on 1 April 2021, [6] forming the unified national railway operator now known as Saudi Arabia Railways. [7] [2]

Railways

Passenger Network

West Train (Haramain High Speed Railway)
North Train (Riyadh–Qurayyat railway)
East Train (Dammam–Riyadh railway)

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 the Eastern Province to enable faster freight movement across the country.

Rolling stock

Electric and diesel trainsets

ClassImageTop speedNumberRemarksBuilt
mphkm/h
Talgo 350 qTr lHrmyn lshryfyn.jpg 22035036 trainsets:
  • 72 power cars
  • 72 semi-articulated trailer cars
  • 396 articulated trailer cars
Electric trainsets with 2 locomotive-like power cars, two semi-articulated end trailer cars and 11 articulated trailer passenger cars (Mc-T=11Ta=T-Mc). Including 35 regular passenger trains and 1 VIP train for royal family and officials. Operating on the Haramain High Speed Railway with 25 kV AC railway electrification.2014-2018
SAR-200 CAF push–pull train SAR CAF.jpg 1242006 trainsets:
  • 12 power cars,
  • 62 trailer cars
Diesel-electric trainsets with 2 locomotive-like power cars and 9 or 13 trailer cars (four standard day trains with Mc-9T-Mc formation and two sleeper night trains with Mc-13T-Mc formation). Operating on the Riyadh-Qurayyat Line. [8] [9] 2013
SRO-180 CAF push–pull train SAR 5008 @ Riyadh East, January 2024.jpg 1121808 trainsets:
  • 10 power cars (5001-5010)
  • 32 trailer intermediate cars
  • 8 trailer control cars
Diesel-electric trainsets with 1 locomotive-like power car, 4 intermediate trailer cars and 1 control car (Mc-4T-Tc formation). Two additional power cars built as reserves. Operating on the Dammam–Riyadh line.2011

Diesel locomotives

ClassImageTop speedNumberRemarksBuilt
mphkm/h
EMD SD70ACS SD70ACS EMDX 3025 2010-10-08.jpg 61 Diesel Locomotives [4] [10] Heavy haul AC diesel-electric locomotives for a mineral railway. [11] 2010-2016
ALCO RS-1 DSSA RS-1 (cropped).jpg 651056Series 1000-1005 Diesel-electric locomotives. Originally Arabian American Oil Company A11x50-A11x51, 1002-1005.1947–1951
EMD SW1001 Switcher 107.jpg 5Series 1022-1026 Order 818000 1/5 Diesel-electric locomotives. [12] 1981
NS Class 2400 (1954)  [ nl ] NS 2498.jpg 50807Secondhand Diesel-electric locomotives taken over from NS by Volker Stevin in 1976 for construction works for a seaport in Jubail. Former 2427, 2445, 2485, 2497, 2499, 2519, 2523. Renumbered into 101-107. Sold to Archirodon for rail reconstruction between Damman and Riyadh and renumbered to 276-04 - 276-09. Some scrapped in 1983. Others active until 1994 and stored in Hofuf afterwards. [13] 1954–56
EMD G18 Ferronor G18U 72 Llanta.jpg 16Series 1006-1021 Orders 710971-710975, 713081-713082, 713233-713235, and 748005 1/6 Diesel-electric locomotives.1968–1976
EMD GP18M Locomotiva EMD GP 18 e Carros Mafersa 800 da EF Araraquara (1963).jpg 1Series 1200 Order 700178; Diesel-electric locomotives. [12] rated at 1500 horsepower.1961
EMD FP7A Soo Line 2500 Streamliner.JPG 2Series 1500-1501 Order 7019; Diesel-electric locomotives taken over from Arabian American Oil Company (their 1006-1007). [14] 1953
EMD FP9A KCS 1 EMD FP9A.jpg 7Series 1502-1508 Orders 701553, 701493-701494, 702272-702275; Diesel-electric locomotives.1956–1959
EMD GP38-2 3801 EMD GP38-2 diesel locomotive.jpg 1Series 2000. Order 712783; Diesel-electric locomotives.1973
EMD GPL38S UP GP38-2 588.jpg 7Series 2001-2007. Order 201288865; Diesel-electric locomotives.2015
EMD GT22CW General Motors GT-22CW - Ferrosur Roca.jpg 3Series 2001-2003. Order 748004; Diesel-electric locomotives.1976
EMD SDL38-2 LLPX SD38-2 2808.jpg 6Series 2004-2009. Order 778050; Diesel-electric locomotives. [15] 1978
EMD SDL38 EMD SD38-2 Squaw Creek Southern 11.jpg 6Series 2030-2035. Order 20148061; Diesel-electric locomotives.2016
EMD SDL50 SRO 3524 & 3529 @ Riyadh East, January 2024.jpg 31Series 3500-3530; Diesel-electric locomotives. [16] 1981–2005
EMD GT46ACS 17Series 4300-4316. Orders 20118517 and 20148134; Diesel-electric locomotives 2013–2015
Class 319.2 Bf Bobadilla, 319 310.jpg 75120>4 Diesel-electric locomotives bought second hand. [17]
CRRC Qishuyan SDD17621008 Diesel-electric locomotives. Ordered in December 2014 for the Dammam-Riyadh line, first 2 locomotives delivered in July 2015. [18] [19] 2015-201?

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Haramain Train to resume service within 30 days". Saudigazette. 1 October 2019.
  2. 1 2 "Saudi Arabia Railways invites bids to supply next generation inter-city trains". Railway Gazette International .
  3. ↑ "Saudi Arabia Railways phosphate train". Network Rail .
  4. 1 2 "Electro-Motive Diesel, Inc. is Awarded New Locomotive Contract for 25 SD70ACS Locomotives from Saudi Railway Company (SAR)". Archived from the original on 11 January 2018. Retrieved 29 September 2015.
  5. ↑ "Saudi Railways Organization and Saudi Railways Company merger approved". Global Railsay Review. 19 February 2021. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
  6. ↑ "سياسي / مجلس الوزراء يعقد جلسته ـ عبر الاتصال المرئي ـ برئاسة خادم الحرمين الشريفين وكالة الأنباء السعودية". 17 February 2021. Archived from the original on 17 February 2021.
  7. ↑ "Train travel in Saudi Arabia | Riyadh to Dammam trains". www.seat61.com.
  8. ↑ Push-Pull Train for the Saudi Railway Company (SAR).
  9. ↑ "CAF wins contracts from Saudi Rail". 18 March 2012. Archived from the original on 27 January 2023. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
  10. ↑ Electro-Motive Diesel, Inc. Wins New Locomotive Contract for 25 SD70ACS Locomotives from Saudi Railway Company (SAR) Archived 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine .
  11. ↑ HaRakevet: Rothschild PhD, Rabbi Walter (2010), New mineral railway Issue 90.
  12. 1 2 "Saudi Arabia - Saudi Railways Organisation : Prototypes by Country - TT scale trains and models". Archived from the original on 13 March 2020. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
  13. ↑ Dierdorp, Sicco & Davy Beumer (2011), D.E.-Locomotieven serie 2200/2300 en 2400/2500. Alkmaar: De Alk.
  14. ↑ "Pictures of SRO 1501". www.rrpicturearchives.net.
  15. ↑ Ward, compiled by Jeffery S. "EMD 778050; SDL38-2; Saudi Arabia; Gov't Ry 2004-2009".
  16. ↑ "RailPictures.Net Photo: SRO 3527 Saudi Railways Organization EMD SDL50 at Riyadh, Saudi Arabia by Tom Hewitt". www.railpictures.net.
  17. ↑ "World rolling stock market May 2014", www.railwaygazette.com, 11 May 2014, archived from the original on 1 August 2020, retrieved 29 January 2023.
  18. ↑ International, Railway Gazette. "Qishuyan locos head for Saudi Arabia". Railway Gazette International. Retrieved 4 October 2025.
  19. ↑ Barrow, Keith (29 July 2015). "Chinese locomotives shipped to Saudi Arabia". International Railway Journal. Retrieved 4 October 2025.
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