Public RecordRecord
Riyadh Metro awards SAR 5.5 billion contracts for 94 trains
Siemens and Alstom will deliver train sets in phases from 2028, expanding fleet from 183 to 277 units.
The Royal Commission for Riyadh City has awarded contracts valued at approximately SAR 5.5 billion, equivalent to $1.47 billion, to Siemens and Alstom for the manufacture and delivery of 94 new metro trains. The procurement will expand the Riyadh Metro fleet from 183 to 277 train sets, raising overall network passenger capacity by 60 percent. Deliveries are scheduled to begin in phases from 2028, with each batch undergoing testing and operational trials before entering passenger service.
Riyadh Metro contracts allocate capacity by line demand#
The additional trains will be distributed across the network according to current ridership levels and projected demand. The Red Line will receive a 142 percent capacity increase, the Yellow Line 116 percent and the Blue Line 60 percent. The Orange Line will gain 27 percent additional capacity and the Purple Line 16 percent. Daily capacity on the Blue Line is set to rise from approximately 340,000 passengers to 533,000, while the Red Line will increase from around 154,000 to 370,000 passengers per day and the Yellow Line from about 133,000 to more than 288,000, according to remarks by RCRC CEO Ibrahim bin Mohammed Al-Sultan reported by MEED.
Siemens and Alstom scope covers manufacture and integration#
The contracts cover rolling stock manufacture, onboard systems, equipment and related services required to integrate the new units into the existing network. Siemens previously supplied 74 Inspiro train sets for Lines 1 and 2, while Alstom supplied 69 Metropolis sets for Lines 4, 5 and 6, according to RCRC project documentation cited by Economy Middle East. The network was designed from the outset to accommodate additional rolling stock, allowing capacity to be raised progressively as demand grows.
Ridership growth and event preparation drive expansion#
The Riyadh Metro has carried more than 300 million passengers since operations began in December 2024, with average ridership rising approximately 25 percent in the first nine months of 2026 compared with the same period in 2025, Al-Sultan stated at the 37th government press conference, as reported by MEED. The expansion is intended to meet rising demand from population growth and new urban developments as Riyadh prepares to host Expo 2030 and the 2034 FIFA World Cup.
Sources3 sources across 3 domains
- economymiddleeast.comEconomy Middle EastContract value SAR 5.5 billion, fleet expansion from 183 to 277 trains, deliveries from 2028, capacity increases by line, Siemens and Alstom prior supply figures
- meed.comMEEDDaily capacity figures by line, 300 million total passengers carried, 25 percent ridership increase in first nine months of 2026, CEO remarks at 37th government press conference
- cbnme.comCBNMEContract scope including systems, equipment and services, metro operations start date December 2024, network designed to accept additional trains
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