Saudi Arabia Railways (SAR) has ordered 10 more intercity trains from Swiss manufacturer Stadler, doubling its fleet of custom-built trains to 20, Stadler said on Friday.
The contract is worth more than 300 million Swiss francs ($360 million) and includes an extension of the existing maintenance agreement to cover the additional trains, the company said.
SAR exercised an option in a contract signed in 2024, which was valued at around 600 million francs and covered 10 trains, maintenance and spare parts, Stadler said. Stadler said the order followed a financing agreement the two sides signed at the InnoTrans rail trade fair in Berlin in September.
“The exercise of this option is a great honour for us and a strong sign of trust,” said Lucius Gerig, a member of Stadler’s group executive board. “The fact that our customer is already doubling the fleet at this stage underlines the strength of our partnership.”
The trains were developed jointly by Stadler and SAR for Saudi conditions, including extreme heat and sand, Stadler said. Each 175-metre train has two independent power cars, redundant systems, and protection and filtration systems for harsh environments, and carries about 320 passengers.
The trains will be built mainly at Stadler’s plants in Switzerland, with power car bodies made at its facility in Valencia, Spain. They will run on SAR’s east-west line connecting Riyadh, Hofuf, Abqaiq and Dammam, with commercial passenger services expected to begin in the second half of 2029.
swissinfo
SAR said the purchase supports its plans to expand its passenger fleet, improve service and meet rising demand, in line with Saudi Vision 2030 and the National Strategy for Transport and Logistics.
