Railway transport industry grows rapidly in Saudi Arabia: Official

Rumaih Al-Rumaih, President of the Public Transport Authority

The railway transport industry in the Kingdom witnesses rapid development and steady growth, said Rumaih Al-Rumaih, President of the Public Transport Authority (PTA), on the sidelines of the Middle East Rail 2022 held in Abu Dhabi.

He added that this reflects unlimited support from the government, which contributed to the expansion of railway projects and networks across the Kingdom.

The National Transport and Logistics Strategy aims to connect more than 8,000 kilometers of railways with the latest technologies and in accordance with the highest standards of quality and safety by 2030.

The number of railway passengers increased to 3.11 million during the first quarter of 2022, a surge of 208% compared with a year earlier. In addition, more than three million tons of goods were transported, with an increase of 26%.

In March, a service was launched to transport cars via trains from Riyadh to Qurayyat, which is the first of its kind in the Middle East.