Stadler CEO Peter Spuhler couldn't miss this opportunity. Both the Minister of Transport and head of Saudi Arabia Railways, Saleh bin Nasser Al-Jasser, and Swiss Federal Councillor Guy Parmelin were present at the signing of a 600 million Swiss franc contract for 20 high-speed trains for Saudi Arabia.
The new trains will be built to the latest European and international standards and specially equipped for the climate and environmental conditions in Saudi Arabia. They will be approximately 175 meters long, equipped with two independent diesel-electric propulsion units that meet the latest European Stage V emissions standards, and will offer seating for around 320 passengers. They will operate on the rapidly expanding SAR rail network throughout the country.
The delivery contract includes a base contract for ten trainsets with an option for ten more. The maintenance contract covers full maintenance and the supply of spare parts for a period of ten years, with an option for an additional ten trains for the following decade. The total contract value is estimated at 600 million Swiss francs.
Image: Stadlerrail.
The contract follows an international tender process by SAR in 2022, with Stadler being selected as SAR's preferred supplier in 2023, followed by an extensive negotiation process. Saleh bin Nasser Al-Jasser, Minister of Transport and Logistics, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Saudi Arabia Railways (SAR), and an engineer himself, explained that the acquisition of these modern trains is a response to the increasing demand for East Train passenger services, as the new trains will help double the annual capacity of the East Trains to more than 3.8 million passengers per year and offer direct services from Riyadh to Dammam (express service).
Al-Jasser added that the introduction of these modern trains to the rail network is also in line with the initiatives of the National Transport and Logistics Strategy (NTLS), which aims to (…) expand the public transport system in the Kingdom and open new horizons for commercial transport.
Saudi Arabia Railways (SAR) CEO Bashar bin Khaled Al-Malik: “Today we are witnessing a comprehensive development and a sustainable strategic transformation in the railway sector. (…) The new trains will serve the entire operating area of the Eastern Railway network, increasing seating capacity, the number of daily services, and the network's annual capacity, as the trains will serve the stations of Riyadh, Hofuf, Abqaiq, and Dammam.”
Peter Spuhler added: “We will do everything we can to meet the high expectations of SAR and its passengers.” He described Stadler's entry into the Gulf region's railway market as a strategic milestone, “a market that is expected to outperform other railway markets in terms of travel experience and passenger growth.”
(In the picture from left: Stadler CEO Peter Spuhler, Federal Councillor Guy Parmelin, Transport Minister Saleh bin Nasser Al-Jasser and Bashar bin Khaled Al-Malik, CEO of Saudi Arabia Railways)
