Rail transport in Saudi Arabia

File:Hejaz Rail track laying near Tabuk 1906.jpg near Tabuk in 1906]]

The first railway in Arabia was the Hejaz Railway, constructed by the Ottoman Empire from the Damascus to Medina.{{Cite book|url=http://books.openedition.org/ifpo/5005|title=Atlas of Jordan : History, Territories and Society|first=Saleh Musa|last=Daradkeh|chapter=The Hijaz Railway |series=Contemporain publications |editor-first=Myriam|editor-last=Ababsa|date=June 11, 2014|publisher=Presses de l’Ifpo|pages=205–208|isbn=9782351594384 |via=OpenEdition Books}} This {{RailGauge|1050mm|lk=on}} narrow gauge railway opened in 1908, but closed in 1920 due to the Arab Revolt.

File:بناء سكة الحديد في السعودية.webp in 1947]]

Modern railways were introduced in Saudi Arabia after World War II, to facilitate the transport of goods for the Arabian American Oil Company, or Aramco (now Saudi Aramco), from ports located on the coast of the Persian Gulf to warehouses in Dhahran. Construction began in September 1947, and the first line was inaugurated on 20 October 1951. Several development projects have been completed since then, including an extension of the line to Riyadh, construction of several passenger terminals, and the opening of a dry port in Riyadh.{{cite web|url=https://www.saudirailways.org/sites/sro/Pages/en-us/AboutUs/OrganizationalInformation/Establishment.aspx|title=Establishment|website=Saudi Railways|access-date=2023-01-29|archive-date=2020-02-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200201150430/https://www.saudirailways.org/sites/sro/Pages/en-us/AboutUs/OrganizationalInformation/Establishment.aspx|url-status=dead}}

The Saudi Railways Organization was merged into the new Saudi Arabia Railways on 1 April 2021.

In Riyadh an extensive metro system is under construction from 2014, with six lines of 176 km (110 miles) all due to open in 2023. Rolling stock will be from Siemens, Alstom and Bombardier. One line in Saudi Arabia, an 18 km (11 mile) line from Makka, Mecca operates for only one week a year for pilgrims only during the annual Hajj pilgrimage. It uses 17 twelve-car Chinese EMUs. An automated 11.5 km (7 miles) elevated metro to the Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University for Women in Riyadh, uses 22 two-car trains built in Italy by Ansaldo Breda in 2011-12 and is operated by Hitachi Rail. It is only accessible to women. Advertisements for 32 women driver trainees (in a country where women could not drive cars until fairly recently) attracted 28,000 women applicants! To cope with the heat and drifting sand, locomotives are fitted with sophisticated air filtration and cooling systems - and sand ploughs.Trains of the Desert in "The Railway Magazine" (UK); No 1,465, April 2023, Volume 169, pages 32-35

{{Main|Haramain High Speed Railway}}

The Haramain High Speed Railway opened to the public on 11 October 2018; it links the Muslim holy cities of Medina and Mecca via the King Abdullah Economic City and Jeddah. The line was designed for a top speed of {{convert|350|km/h|abbr=on}}, and with a service speed of {{convert|300|km/h|abbr=on}}.

{{Main|Saudi Landbridge Project}}

A new railway, called the Saudi Landbridge, will connect Jeddah on the Red Sea coast with the Saudi Arabian capital Riyadh.{{cite web | url=http://www.saudirailexpansion.com/SaudiRailExpansion/inner.aspx?parent=420&secserno=422&prosecno=420 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080113121414/http://www.saudirailexpansion.com/SaudiRailExpansion/inner.aspx?parent=420&secserno=422&prosecno=420 | archive-date=2008-01-13 | title=Saudi Railways Expansion Programme }}

{{Main|Dammam–Riyadh line}}

File:Train, SAR Riyadh-Dammam Station, Riyadh.jpg train at Riyadh railway station]]

The Dammam–Riyadh line links Dammam with Riyadh. The passenger line started operation in 1981 and is 449 km long, and has four stations. It was formerly operated by the Saudi Railways Organization.

{{Main|Riyadh–Qurayyat line}}

The Riyadh–Qurayyat line was built in 2012 and opened in 2017; it begins at Riyadh and runs northwest toward Al Haditha near the Jordanian border, passing through Majma’a, Qassim, Hail and Al-Jawf.{{cite web |url=http://www.sar.com.sa/Default.aspx?tabid=85&language=en-GB |title=Project Overview |website=Saudi Arabia Railways |archive-date=2015-10-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151029014504/http://www.sar.com.sa/Default.aspx?tabid=85&language=en-GB}} Both passenger and freight services are operating on this line.{{cite web |url=http://www.sar.com.sa/Default.aspx?tabid=63&language=en-GB |title=SAR Railway Network Map |website=Saudi Arabia Railways |archive-date=2013-07-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130723164637/http://www.sar.com.sa/Default.aspx?tabid=63&language=en-GB}} There are six passenger stations on the line which are in Riyadh at King Khaled International Airport, Majma’a, Qassim, Hail at Prince Abdulaziz Bin Mussa’ad Economic City, Al-Jawf, and Al-Qurayyat.

{{Main|North–South line (Saudi Arabia)}}

The north–south line runs from Al-Jalamid mine in the Northern province and then passes through Al-Jawf and Hail until Al Baithah Junction in Qassim province. The line then travels east to the processing and export facilities in Ras Al Khair in the Eastern Province. This line will be used solely by freight trains.{{Cite web |last=Shaw-Smith |first=Peter |date=16 May 2011 |title=Saudi Landbridge rail project loses momentum |url=https://www.ft.com/content/e4f4a056-7fd7-11e0-b018-00144feabdc0 |access-date=22 August 2023 |website=Financial Times}}

• United Arab Emirates — no connection, proposed as part of the Gulf Railway
• Qatar — no connection, proposed as part of the Gulf Railway
• Oman — no connection, proposed as part of the Gulf Railway
• Bahrain — no connection, proposed as part of the Gulf Railway
• Kuwait — no connection, proposed as part of the Gulf Railway
• Iraq — proposed

• Jordan — North–South line terminates in Al-Haditha, close to the border

• Saudi Arabia Railways
• Transport in Saudi Arabia

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{{Rail transport in Saudi Arabia|state=collapsed}}

{{Saudi Arabia topics}}