RIYADH — The number of passengers transported by trains across Saudi Arabia during the first quarter of 2026 has exceeded 45 million. This reflects growing demand for rail travel as a safe mode of transportation offering high-quality services, the Transport General Authority (TGA) announced on Thursday.
The authority noted that urban rail ecosystems recorded 42 million passengers during the first three months of the year. Riyadh Train topped the list with 31 million passengers, followed by the automated people mover at King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah with around 10 million passengers, and the automated people mover at Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University with around 621,000 passengers. Among intercity services, the Haramain High-Speed Railway, linking Jeddah, Makkah, and Madinah, carried two million passengers during the quarter.
Regarding freight transport, the authority revealed that more than four million tons of minerals and goods were transported by rail, including three million tons carried via the Northern Train network, while the Eastern Train network transported more than 448,000 tons and 197,000 TEUs. This reflects the role of rail freight in raising supply chain efficiency and enhancing logistical connectivity between ports and economic zones.
Source: Saudi Gazette