AL-JOUF – The Saudi Railway Company (SAR) announced the arrival of the first passenger train to Al-Jouf station from Riyadh via Al-Qassim and Hail Thursday early morning.

Khaled Al-Harbi, deputy CEO of SAR for operation, said that the first train reached Al-Jouf at dawn today. “There will be a weekly round trip between Riyadh and Al Jouf,” he said. The SAR will increase the number of train services in the future to meet the needs and requirements of the residents of the region.

Al-Harbi said the train from Riyadh to Al-Jouf will depart at 9:30 p.m. every Wednesday, while the return journey will be at 11:30 p.m. on Saturday and the duration of the journey does not exceed seven and a half hours. The passengers can opt for travel between SAR stations in Riyadh, Al-Qassim, Hail and Al-Jouf. As part of the North-South Railway (NSR) project, the 1,418km passenger line runs from Riyadh and passes through industrial stations in Sudair, Al-Qassim, Hail, Al-Jouf and Al-Basyata to Al-Haditha, near the border with Jordan.

The North-South Railway line is being built as a part of 3,900km rail expansion plans. The other two projects include a 1,100km land-bridge project connecting the eastern and western parts of Saudi Arabia and a 450km Haramain High-Speed rail link, connecting Makkah and Madinah via Jeddah and Rabigh.

SG/SPA