Over 38 million passengers used the Saudi railway system during the second quarter of 2026, according to data from the Transport General Authority.
SPA reported that the railway network also transported 3.7 million tons of minerals and other cargo, along with 47,000 standard containers during the same period.
Urban passenger rail accounted for approximately 36 million trips. This included 29.7 million passengers on the Riyadh Metro, 3.9 million on the King Abdulaziz International Airport automated people mover, 1.9 million on the Holy Train, and 635,000 on the Princess Nourah University automated people mover.
The Haramain High Speed Railway, which connects Makkah and Madinah via Jeddah, King Abdulaziz International Airport, and King Abdullah Economic City, transported about 1.6 million passengers. The Eastern Railway, linking Riyadh Province to the Eastern Province via Hofuf and Abqaiq to Dammam, carried approximately 389,000 passengers, while the Northern Railway served 246,000 passengers across Riyadh, Majmaah, Qassim, Hail, Al-Jouf, and Qurayyat.
Regarding freight, the Saudi Railway Company (SAR) moved 3.3 million tons of cargo on the Northern Railway and 396,000 tons on the Eastern Railway.
How many passengers used urban rail systems in Q2 2026? Urban passenger rail transported approximately 36 million people. This total includes 29.7 million passengers on the Riyadh Metro and 3.9 million passengers using the automated people mover at King Abdulaziz International Airport.
What were the passenger numbers for the major intercity rail lines? The Haramain High Speed Railway transported about 1.6 million passengers between Makkah and Madinah. Additionally, the Eastern Railway carried approximately 389,000 passengers and the Northern Railway transported 246,000 passengers.
What volume of freight was moved by the Saudi Railway Company (SAR)? The Saudi Railway Company (SAR) transported 3.3 million tons of cargo on the Northern Railway and 396,000 tons on the Eastern Railway, contributing to a total of 3.7 million tons of minerals and cargo.