Wikipedia

Saudi Railways Organization

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.

Saudi Railways Organization
Native name
المؤسسة العامة للخطوط الحديدية
Founded13 May 1966; 58 years ago (1966-05-13)
DefunctApril 1, 2021 (2021-04-01)
FateMerged into the Saudi Railway Company (now Saudi Arabia Railways)
HeadquartersDammam railway station,
Dammam
,
Saudi Arabia
Area served
Saudi Arabia
Key people
  • Abdullah Bin Abdulrahman Al-Muqbil (Chairman)
  • Rumaih Mohamed Alrumaih (President)
RevenueSAR 535 million[1] (2014)
Websitesaudirailways.org

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

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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

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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

Diesel Locomotives

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Class Image Top speed Number Remarks Built
mph km/h
ALCO RS-1 65 105 6 Series 1000-1005 Diesel-electric locomotives. Originally Arabian American Oil Company A11x50-A11x51, 1002-1005 1947–1951
EMD SW1001 5 Series 1022-1026 Order 818000 1/5 Diesel-electric locomotives.[5] 1981
Class 2400   50 80 7 Secondhand Diesel-electric locomotives taken over from NS by Volker Stevin in 1976 for construction works for a seaport in Jubail. Former 2427, 2445, 2485, 2497, 2499, 2519, 2523. Renumbered into 101-107. Sold to Archirodon for rail reconstruction between Damman and Riyadh and renumbered to 276-04 - 276-09. Some scrapped in 1983. Others active until 1994 and stored in Hofuf afterwards.[6] 1954–56
EMD G18 16 Series 1006-1021 Orders 710971-710975, 713081-713082, 713233-713235, and 748005 1/6 Diesel-electric locomotives. 1968–1976
EMD GP18M 1 Series 1200 Order 700178 Diesel-electric locomotives.[5] rated at 1500 horsepower 1961
EMD FP7A 2 Series 1500-1501 Order 7019 Diesel-electric locomotives taken over from Arabian American Oil Company (their 1006-1007).[7] 1953
EMD FP9A 7 Series 1502-1508 Orders 701553, 701493-701494, 702272-702275 Diesel-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 20148061 Diesel-electric locomotives 2016
EMD SDL50 31 Series 3500-3530 Diesel-electric locomotives[9] 1981–2005
EMD SD70ACS 61 Series 4000-4060 Diesel-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]

Expansion

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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]
  • North-South line[14]
  • 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]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Passengers & Cargo Statistics" (PDF). Archived from the original on 28 April 2016. Retrieved 14 June 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  2. ^ "Welcome in Saudi Rail Ways". Archived from the original on 28 September 2007. Retrieved 1 August 2008.
  3. ^ "Saudi Railways Organization and Saudi Railways Company merger approved". Global Railsay Review. 19 February 2021. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
  4. ^ "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.
  5. ^ a b "Saudi Arabia - Saudi Railways Organisation : Prototypes by Country - TT scale trains and models".
  6. ^ Dierdorp, Sicco & Davy Beumer (2011), D.E.-Locomotieven serie 2200/2300 en 2400/2500. Alkmaar: De Alk
  7. ^ "Pictures of SRO 1501". www.rrpicturearchives.net.
  8. ^ Ward, compiled by Jeffery S. "EMD 778050; SDL38-2; Saudi Arabia; Gov't Ry 2004-2009".
  9. ^ "RailPictures.Net Photo: SRO 3527 Saudi Railways Organization EMD SDL50 at Riyadh, Saudi Arabia by Tom Hewitt". www.railpictures.net.
  10. ^ HaRakevet: Rothschild PhD, Rabbi Walter (2010), New mineral railway Issue 90
  11. ^ "World rolling stock market May 2014", www.railwaygazette.com, 11 May 2014
  12. ^ "Landbridge Project". SRO.
  13. ^ "Saudi bidding hots up". Railway Gazette International. 10 March 2008. Archived from the original on 21 August 2020.
  14. ^ "North-South Line Project". SRO.
  15. ^ "SRO".
  16. ^ "Projects Underway". SRO. Archived from the original on 28 April 2016.

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