Defunct state-owned railway company of Saudi Arabia
The Saudi Railways Organization (SRO) (Arabic: المؤسسة العامة للخطوط الحديدية) was a state-owned railway company that operated part of Saudi Arabia's rail network, along with the Saudi Railway Company (now Saudi Arabia Railways). The SRO operated a network of railways with a total length of approximately 1,380 kilometers. The network consisted of two main lines. A 449 km passenger line that links Dammam with Riyadh, and a 556 km freight line that connects the King Abdul Aziz Port in Dammam with Riyadh.
There are plans to extend the network to the Red Sea port of Jeddah and, eventually to the borders of Jordan, Yemen, and perhaps all the way to Egypt.[2]
Approval to merge the Saudi Railways Organization and Saudi Railway Company was announced in February 2021,[3] the merger took place on 1 April 2021 and the merged entity is known as the Saudi Arabia Railways.[4]
Rail transport map of Saudi Arabia. SRO operated on the both red lines.
Rolling stock
Spanish manufacturer CAF 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. During 2013 the travel time is 4:15 but there is a target of 3:00 for the future.
Trainsets
Diesel Locomotives
Expansion
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:
Saudi Landbridge: The Landbridge project is aimed at connecting the Red Sea with the Persian Gulf. It will involve the construction of a 950 km line from Jeddah Islamic Port to Riyadh, and a 115 km line from Dammam to Jubail.[12][13]
The Gulf Railway project is a propose railway network of 2116 km linking all GCC countries. The length of the track inside Saudi Arabia would be 663 km.[15]
The SRO also has plans to construct three lines in southern Saudi Arabia to improve the region's connectivity with the rest of the country. The lines are the Taif-Khamis Mushayt–Abha line (706 km), the Jeddah-Jizan line (660 km), and the Yanbu–Jeddah line (350 km).[16]
^"Passengers & Cargo Statistics" (PDF). Archived from the original on 28 April 2016. Retrieved 14 June 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
^"Welcome in Saudi Rail Ways". Archived from the original on 28 September 2007. Retrieved 1 August 2008.
^"Saudi Railways Organization and Saudi Railways Company merger approved". Global Railsay Review. 19 February 2021. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
^"سياسي / مجلس الوزراء يعقد جلسته ـ عبر الاتصال المرئي ـ برئاسة خادم الحرمين الشريفين وكالة الأنباء السعودية". Archived from the original on 17 February 2021.
^ a b"Saudi Arabia - Saudi Railways Organisation : Prototypes by Country - TT scale trains and models".
^Dierdorp, Sicco & Davy Beumer (2011), D.E.-Locomotieven serie 2200/2300 en 2400/2500. Alkmaar: De Alk
^"Pictures of SRO 1501". www.rrpicturearchives.net.
^Ward, compiled by Jeffery S. "EMD 778050; SDL38-2; Saudi Arabia; Gov't Ry 2004-2009".
^"RailPictures.Net Photo: SRO 3527 Saudi Railways Organization EMD SDL50 at Riyadh, Saudi Arabia by Tom Hewitt". www.railpictures.net.
^HaRakevet: Rothschild PhD, Rabbi Walter (2010), New mineral railway Issue 90
^"World rolling stock market May 2014", www.railwaygazette.com, 11 May 2014
^"Landbridge Project". SRO.
^"Saudi bidding hots up". Railway Gazette International. 10 March 2008. Archived from the original on 21 August 2020.
^"North-South Line Project". SRO.
^"SRO".
^"Projects Underway". SRO. Archived from the original on 28 April 2016.
Al Ayuni Investment and Contracting Company,Saudi Railway CTW400 Project Main Contractor
