- DAMMAM: Abdul Aziz Al-Hoqail, president of the Saudi Railway Organization (SRO), on Monday announced his organization’s plan to operate high-speed trains between Riyadh and Dammam next year to reduce travel time between the two cities to less than three hours.
Speaking to reporters after signing a contract with German GTZ and Zuhair Fayez consultancy firms, he said the new trains would have a speed of 200 km per hour. “We are making advanced plans to strengthen this industry,” he added. Al-Hoqail said the SR5.16 million contract was signed to prepare SRO’s strategy for the next 30 years. “The strategy will give a clear cut plan for improving railway services in the country,” he added. He said work on the North-South Railway and the Haramain Railway is progressing well.
“SRO has completed a study on linking Abha with a 700-km railway line that will pass by Khamis Mushait and Taif,” Al-Hoqail said. “There will be another 660-km railway linking Jeddah with Jazan in addition to the 300-km Jeddah-Yanbu railway,” he said.