- Deliveries of the new trains are scheduled to begin in batches starting in 2028
- They will increase the network’s total passenger capacity by 60 percent
Updated 13 October 2026 17:45
RIYADH: The Royal Commission for Riyadh City has signed contracts to purchase 94 new trains to increase the Riyadh Metro fleet from 183 to 277 trains.
The announcement was made by the commission’s CEO Ibrahim bin Mohammed Al-Sultan during a government press conference on Monday.
Deliveries of the new trains are scheduled to begin in batches starting in 2028 and they will increase the network’s total passenger capacity by 60 percent by allocating additional capacity to lines based on passenger volume and projected demand.
Capacity will rise by 142 percent on the Red Line, 116 percent on the Yellow Line, 60 percent on the Blue Line, 27 percent on the Orange Line and 16 percent on the Purple Line.
The acquisition is part of proactive preparations for future growth in the capital’s mobility, ensuring the system keeps pace with the city’s evolution and needs in the coming years—including the hosting of major global events such as Expo 2030 Riyadh and the 2034 FIFA World Cup.
The fleet expansion coincides with the continued growth of the Riyadh Metro network, which has served over 300 million passengers since operations began.
Germany’s Siemens and France’s Alstom are executing the fleet expansion contracts—valued at a combined total of nearly SAR 5.5 billion ($1.5 billion).
These contracts include manufacturing, equipping, and systems integration of the trains.
The trains will be delivered in phases aligned with the manufacturing schedule, they will then undergo testing and operational trials before being gradually introduced into service.