Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — Rail transport across Saudi Arabia carried approximately 46.7 million passengers during the fourth quarter of 2025, the Transport General Authority announced on Tuesday.

The authority said urban rail services accounted for the bulk of passenger traffic, recording an exceptional 43.8 million riders during the quarter.

Riyadh Metro ranked first among city rail systems, serving 32.1 million passengers, followed by the automated people mover at King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah, which transported 10.6 million passengers.

The automated transit system at Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University also recorded strong usage, carrying more than 982,000 passengers during the same period.

Intercity rail services also saw notable demand. The Haramain High Speed Railway, which connects Makkah, Jeddah, and Madinah, carried approximately 2.9 million passengers in the fourth quarter.

Meanwhile, the Eastern Railway Line, linking Riyadh with Dammam and the Eastern Province, transported around 367,000 passengers, while the Northern Railway Line, which runs from Riyadh toward the northwest near the Jordanian border, recorded about 234,000 passengers.

In freight transport, the authority reported that more than 4 million tons of minerals and goods were moved by rail during the quarter. Of this total, 3.5 million tons were transported via the Northern Line.

The Eastern Line carried approximately 439,000 tons of goods, in addition to 218,000 standard containers.

The authority said the figures underscore the continued expansion of Saudi Arabia’s rail network and its growing role in passenger mobility and freight logistics nationwide.