Saudi Arabia is expected to have spent over $48 billion on rail projects throughout the kingdom by 2024, according to Alstom, a global leader in rail transport and sustainable mobility.

At the forefront of this major investment in rail transport is the Riyadh Metro: the largest single-phase metro system project ever launched in the world, it added.

An ongoing project, the Riyadh Metro’s lines 4, 5 and 6 have been built from scratch by Alstom and its civil partners, as part of the FAST consortium, and the fully integrated metro system is set to provide comprehensive, citywide, mass-transit coverage.

Alstom has supplied 69 Metropolis-based Riyadh Metro trains and an Urbalis signalling system. As a leader in the improvement of environmental performance of rail across the region, Alstom has also implemented highly advanced and innovative Hesop (Harmonic Energy Saver) technology in the project.

Hesop recovers the electrical energy generated by trains during braking, which, in addition to reducing operational costs, will cut about 3 million kg of carbon emissions and decrease power consumption by 6.6 million kilowatts per annum said a top official.

“Saudi Arabia has a long and rich history of innovation across various industries, and Alstom is extremely proud to have been entrusted by the kingdom to have such a strong presence in driving that innovation in its transport and energy industries for almost 70 years,” remarked Yasser Omar, the Managing Director for Saudi Arabia.

“Today, with our sole focus being transport and mobility, we continue our support of the kingdom’s economic growth and development, alongside its Vision for 2030, through the enhancement of infrastructure and the supply of sustainable solutions such as the Riyadh Metro,” he added.

Alstom is playing a pivotal role in shaping the future of transport systems and infrastructure in the kingdom, by delivering best-in-class mobility solutions and projects.

The technology major is proving to be a key supporter and facilitator of Saudi Arabia’s goal to comprehensively enhance the interconnectivity of the kingdom and the development of major rail and metro projects, in line with its Vision for 2030.

In alignment with the kingdom’s overall growth and in response to the ever-increasing public demand for the expansion of land transportation services, Saudi Arabia has continuously reiterated its commitment to developing an additional 10,000 km of rail and metro by 2030.