 Passenger train on theDammam–Riyadh line. | |
Native name | المؤسسة العامة للخطوط الحديدية |
|---|---|
| Founded | 13 May 1966; 59 years ago (1966-05-13) |
| Defunct | 1 April 2021 (2021-04-01) |
| Fate | Merged into the Saudi Railway Company (nowSaudi Arabia Railways) |
| Headquarters | Dammam railway station,, Saudi Arabia |
Area served | Saudi Arabia |
Key people |
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| Revenue | SAR 535 million[1] (2014) |
| Website | saudirailways.org |
TheSaudi Railways Organization (SRO) (Arabic:المؤسسة العامة للخطوط الحديدية) was astate-owned railway company that operated part ofSaudi Arabia's rail network, along with the Saudi Railway Company (nowSaudi Arabia Railways). The SRO operated a network of railways with a total length of approximately 1,380 kilometers (860 mi). The network consisted of two main lines. A 449 km (279 mi) passenger line that linksDammam with Riyadh, and a 556 km (345 mi) freight line that connects theKing Abdul Aziz Port in Dammam with Riyadh.
There are plans to extend the network to theRed Sea port ofJeddah and, eventually, to the borders ofJordan,Yemen, and perhaps all the way toEgypt.[2]
Approval to merge the Saudi Railways Organization and theSaudi Railway Company was announced in February 2021.[3] The merger took place on 1 April 2021, and the merged entity is now known asSaudi Arabia Railways.[4]
Spanish manufacturerCAF delivered eight fast diesel locomotives in 2012, with one driving van trailer passenger car and four other passenger cars, with a leading power car unit, plus two spare power cars. They are used on the Dammam–Riyadh Line. In 2013, the travel time was 4:15, but the target is 3:00 for the future.
| Class | Image | Top speed | Number | Remarks | Built | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| mph | km/h | |||||
| CAF |  | 112 | 180 | 8 passenger units, 10 power cars (5001-5010) | Passenger trainsets with dedicated power cars. | 2011 |
| Class | Image | Top speed | Number | Remarks | Built | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| mph | km/h | |||||
| ALCO RS-1 | 65 | 105 | 6 | Series 1000-1005Diesel-electric locomotives. Originally Arabian American Oil Company A11x50-A11x51, 1002-1005 | 1947–1951 | |
| EMD SW1001 | 5 | Series 1022-1026 Order 818000 1/5Diesel-electric locomotives.[5] | 1981 | |||
| Class 2400 |  | 50 | 80 | 7 | SecondhandDiesel-electric locomotives taken over fromNS byVolker Stevin in 1976 for construction works for a seaport inJubail. Former 2427, 2445, 2485, 2497, 2499, 2519, 2523. Renumbered into 101-107. Sold toArchirodon for rail reconstruction between Damman and Riyadh and renumbered to 276-04 - 276-09. Some scrapped in 1983. Others active until 1994 and stored inHofuf afterwards.[6] | 1954–56 |
| EMD G18 | 16 | Series 1006-1021 Orders 710971-710975, 713081-713082, 713233-713235, and 748005 1/6Diesel-electric locomotives. | 1968–1976 | |||
| EMD GP18M | 1 | Series 1200 Order 700178Diesel-electric locomotives.[5] rated at 1500 horsepower | 1961 | |||
| EMD FP7A | 2 | Series 1500-1501 Order 7019Diesel-electric locomotives taken over fromArabian American Oil Company (their 1006-1007).[7] | 1953 | |||
| EMD FP9A | 7 | Series 1502-1508 Orders 701553, 701493-701494, 702272-702275Diesel-electric locomotives | 1956–1959 | |||
| GP38-2 | 1 | Series 2000. Order 712783.Diesel-electric locomotives | 1973 | |||
| GPL38S | 7 | Series 2001-2007. Order 201288865.Diesel-electric locomotives | 2015 | |||
| GT22CW | 3 | Series 2001-2003. Order 748004.Diesel-electric locomotives | 1976 | |||
| SDL38-2 | 6 | Series 2004-2009. Order 778050.Diesel-electric locomotives[8] | 1978 | |||
| SDL38 | 6 | Series 2030-2035. Order 20148061Diesel-electric locomotives | 2016 | |||
| EMD SDL50 | 31 | Series 3500-3530Diesel-electric locomotives[9] | 1981–2005 | |||
| EMD SD70ACS | 61 | Series 4000-4060Diesel-electric locomotives for a mineral railway[10] | 2010–2016 | |||
| GT46ACS | 17 | Series 4300-4316. Orders 20118517 and 20148134.Diesel-electric locomotives | 2013–2015 | |||
| Class 319.2 | 75 | 120 | >4 | Diesel-electric locomotives bought second hand.[11] | ||
The SRO has several plans to expand the network as part of the Saudi Railway Master Plan 2010-2040 (SRMP). Some of the projects under the plan are:
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