High-power Saudi Landbridge railway project is coming soon
All aboard…
We’ve been receiving a steady stream of railway announcements here in Saudi Arabia lately (and as the reporter writing about most of them, it’s been exciting, to say the least). And we just got word that the Saudi Land Bridge railway project is moving full speed ahead.
According to MEED, Saudi Arabia Railways (SAR) has said that it will deliver the Saudi Land Bridge project through a “new mechanism” by 2034.
In an interview with local media, Saudi Arabia Railways CEO Bashar Bin Khalid Al-Malik said that the project will now be delivered in several phases through a different procurement model.
The project includes 1,500 kilometres (km) of new track. The core component is a new 900-kilometre railway between Riyadh and Jeddah, which will provide direct access to the capital from King Abdullah Port on the Red Sea.
Other key developments include upgrading the existing Riyadh-Dammam line, a bypass around the capital called the Riyadh Link, and a link between King Abdullah Port and Yanbu.
Once finished, the Saudi Land Bridge high-speed rail project will decrease travel time between Riyadh and Jeddah by nearly eight hours. Previously, the journey would be about 12 hours long by car; the project would connect the two cities by a four-hour train ride.
Other high-speed rails coming to the Kingdom
Qiddiya High-Speed Rail
The Qiddiya High-Speed Rail project aims to link key destinations, such as King Salman International Airport (KSIA), the King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD), and Qiddiya City. It will significantly reduce travel time between these major landmarks, offering a swift, comfortable, and efficient journey. This will be achieved through a high-speed rail line capable of reaching speeds of up to 250 kilometres per hour, therefore, shortening travel times between these destinations to just 30 minutes.
Saudi-Qatar high-speed rail
It’s all eyes on the tracks (train tracks, that is) in Saudi Arabia right now. The country is heavily investing in its railway industry and the latest Riyadh-to-Doha high-speed rail is another one on the long list of recently announced rail projects. The Saudi-Qatar high-speed rail project spans a massive 785 kilometres, serving as a vital link between the two capital cities, Riyadh and Doha, with key stations including Al-Hofuf and Dammam.
