By Andy Sambidge www.arabianbusiness.com
Construction work has started on a light-rail project for the capital city of Saudi Arabia, where 36 stations will be built in the first phase, it was reported on Tuesday.
This project is aimed at reducing congestion in Riyadh where 87 percent of the population use private cars as the primary mode of transport, Arab News reported.
Mohammed Abu-zaid, a spokesman for the Saudi Railways Organisation (SRO) said that eight trains would be received within 36 months from the Spanish company CAF.
The project, which comes under the jurisdiction of Arriyadh Development Authority (ADA), will see 23 stations built on the first route and 13 on a second rail link, according to an ADA report seen by the paper.
An ADA source told Arab News: “The construction works have started on the two railway routes of the city.”
The first phase will involve the construction of a 25km north-south route while the second phase will involve a 14km route extending from east to west.
The paper said the first phase of the project was expected to cover 30 districts of the city and will serve 1,500 passengers per hour per track initially and then up to 8,000 passengers per hour.
