RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA – Saudi Arabia Railways (SAR) announced its operational figures for the first half of the current year, including the achievements in the second quarter of the year.
The number of passengers on SAR networks reached 2.2 million passengers during the second quarter of 2023, surpassing the number of 4.4 million passengers in the first half of the year.
The number of train trips during the first half of the year increased by 46 percent compared to the same period last year, according to SAR, bringing the total number of trips to 16,404 on the East Train, North Train, and Haramain High Speed Railway networks.
The volume of minerals and goods transported over SAR networks during the second quarter of the year exceeded 6.34 million tons, bringing the total volume to over 12 million tons during the first half of this year, a 13 percent increase compared to the previous year.
This jump contributed to reducing the number of truck trips by 970,000.
SAR CEO Dr. Bashar Al-Malik said that the positive results of the company in the first half of the year could be attributed to the successful Hajj season of 1444 Hijri, adding these were due to the support of the wise leadership.
Al-Malik said that freight services are among the most prominent activities supporting the objectives of the National Strategy for Transport and Logistic Services.
“The freight transportation sector witnessed a number of strategic agreements and memoranda of understanding,” he said.
“These agreements include transportation via railways and upgrading services, technical linkage with many entities, which improve customer experience,” he added.
In early July, SAR said its operational plans for both Al-Mashaaer Al-Mugaddassah Metro Line and the Haramain High Speed Railway during the Hajj season of 1444 Hijri were successful.
The company had announced at the time that Al-Mashaaer Al-Mugaddassah Metro Line transported 2.13 million pilgrims on 2,208 trips, while the Haramain High Speed Railway transported over 750,000 passengers on 3,627 trips during the same season, recording its highest daily trip rate since its inauguration.
The total number of train trips on the seventh day of Dhul-Hijjah reached 131, the highest number since the Haramain High Speed Railway started to operate.