Railway service linking Riyadh to northern regions soon to open

RIYADH: The North-South Railway will be launched on Feb. 26, the Saudi Railways Organization (SRO) announced recently.
The new train service will be available only for passenger service, which will allow commuters to travel.
The railway line is 1,250 km long and the train will start from Al-Qurrayat and pass through Al-Jouf, Hail and Al-Qassim regions and terminates in Riyadh with extensions to Hazm Al-Jalamid to haul phosphate, and to Al-Zubayrah to haul bauxite. It will also travel to Ras Al-Zour on the Gulf where a major port will be constructed to export these and other mineral ores.
The train will have 12 cars with allocated places for the disabled in three places, along with three small praying areas, which can be transformed into disabled areas if necessary.
During a trial run from Riyadh to Majmah in October, Riyadh Governor Prince Faisal Bin Bandar said the project is feasible both at the economic and security levels as it will save lives by protecting them against the hazards of commuting by car.
Prince Faisal said the project was implemented following years of feasible study. The train is to be operated and serviced by Saudis in the area of command and control, and in the hospitality industry. The SRO sent Saudis on scholarships to learn how to operate trains.
“We are proud of our young Saudis who will drive this train,” Prince Faisal said. “SRO has worked from the beginning to send Saudi citizens abroad to learn how to operate the train.”
He noted that the Kingdom is vast, which requires such service projects, particularly in the transport sector. He called on citizens to be patient, especially since the Kingdom is on the verge of a big change and looks forward to huge development works.
Minister of Transport Sulaiman Al-Hamdan, who is also the Chairman of the SRO, said out the launch of passenger transport on this track. The train will raise the level of safety and reduce accident rates on the roads; as well it will provide transport alternative between the central and northern by air and ground.