RCRC awards $1.47bn contracts for 94 Riyadh Metro trains

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - The Royal Commission for Riyadh City has signed contracts worth approximately $1.47 billion (SAR 5.5 billion) for 94 additional trains for the Riyadh Metro.

Germany's Siemens and France's Alstom will execute the contracts, which cover the manufacture of the trains along with their systems, equipment and associated project services.

The additional order will increase the Riyadh Metro fleet from 183 to 277 trains. Deliveries are scheduled to begin in phases from 2028, with each batch undergoing testing and operational trials before entering passenger service.

RCRC said the investment is intended to prepare the network for future growth in passenger demand as Riyadh continues to expand through new destinations and major development projects.

The authority said the metro system was designed to accommodate additional trains as demand increases, allowing capacity to be expanded without changing the basic network configuration.

The new fleet is expected to raise overall network capacity by about 60%. The Red Line will record the largest increase, at 142%, while capacity on the Yellow Line will rise by 116% and the Blue Line by 60%. The Orange and Purple lines will see increases of 27% and 16% respectively.

RCRC also confirmed that the Blue Line's daily capacity is expected to rise from about 340,000 passengers to around 533,000, while Red Line capacity will increase from 154,000 to 370,000 passengers per day. The Yellow Line is expected to rise from 133,000 to more than 288,000 passengers daily.

The fleet expansion comes as the capital prepares for continued population and urban growth as well as major international events including Expo 2030 Riyadh and the FIFA World Cup 2034.

The Riyadh Metro forms part of the King Abdulaziz Project for Riyadh Public Transport. The network extends across six lines and 176km and includes 85 stations.

RCRC is also progressing an 8.4km extension of the Red Line from King Saud University towards Diriyah. The extension will add five stations, including two serving King Saud University and its Medical City and three in Diriyah.