Railways have witnessed tremendous development under the reign of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah, according to Mohammed K. Al-Suwaiket, chairman of the Saudi Railways Organization (SRO).

Al-Suwaiket said that the past eight years of King Abdullah’s reign have witnessed important breakthroughs for railways at various levels including the organization, development and expansion of the network. Various projects have been undertaken in various parts of the Kingdom in order to achieve economic, industrial and educational development.

“Railways in the Kingdom are being strengthened to benefit the citizens and residents with safe and comfortable travel between all regions,” he said. “This period has witnessed the issuance of a number of important decisions aimed at organizing this activity and the development of its infrastructure and network expansion, based on the concept that railway transport services would be useless if limited to a certain range within the Kingdom.”

Al-Suwaiket said it can be beneficial only if it spans the Kingdom, with an integrated network linking the population to major ports and economic cities.

He said that the high-speed train project for the Two Holy Mosques, which is one of the most important railway projects in the Kingdom, is of great interest to the king.

“In a very brief period, we have seen the project leap forward in the field of building and construction according to the highest specifications and standards followed internationally,” he said.

According to him, trains are expected to play an important role in activating the movement and transfer of passengers between Makkah and Madinah via Jeddah and the King Abdullah Economic City in Rabigh. High-speed trains with sophisticated designs and latest techniques will be operated.

The project will have a clear impact on overall transport activities and will put the Kingdom among the countries that provide rapid rail transport services.

The era has also seen developments in the quality and quantity of the existing network between Riyadh and Dammam. The focus has been on passenger services, efficiency, raising the level of safety, improving methods of maintenance and building modern yards.