JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia’s railways are considered one of the main methods of transportation and the Kingdom has always paid attention to its railway sector.
The railways also contribute to economic and social development and play a pivotal role in transporting goods and passengers between cities in the Kingdom.
Construction of the the Riyadh-Dammam railway line began in 1947, and it has transported passengers and goods since its inauguration on October 20, 1951.
The railway line is 569 km long and its opening coincided with the establishment of a large commercial port in the Eastern Province.
In the beginning, the railway line was run by Aramco, but it was subsequently entrusted to the Ministry of Finance.
On May 13, 1966 a royal decree was issued establishing the The Saudi Railways Organization (SRO) as a public corporation having full legal status.
The development of the vital Riyadh-Dammam line emphasizes the state’s keenness to develop the railway sector. Several railway lines linking Riyadh to numerous cities in the Eastern Province have been built, and the main line linking Riyadh and Dammam has been modernized.
The main railway stations for passengers opened in Riyadh, Dammam, and Hofuf in 1981, and in 1985, another railway line between Riyadh and Dammam measuring 449 km was built. The line shortened the journey time between the two cities from 420 minutes to 300 minutes. Modern SRO trains travel at around 160 km per hour.
A considerable number of passengers use SRO trains and this is a sign of the confidence that citizens and residents put in the railways as a means of safe transportation compared to other forms of transport. Passenger trains transported approximately 1.48 million passengers during 2017 between stations in Dammam, Abqaiq, Hofuf, and Riyadh.
Saudi railways approach 67th anniversary, play large role in linking cities
Saudi railways approach 67th anniversary, play large role in linking cities
