Via Jennifer Bell in alarabiya.net: The Riyadh Metro is opening in three phases. The Blue Line, which is 38 kilometers (24 miles) long, was one of the first lines to partially open, alongside the Yellow and Purple Lines, and runs north to south through Downtown Riyadh. The Red and Green Lines launched on December 15, while the Orange Line is scheduled to open by January 5, 2025. “Alternative means of transport outside of cars are necessary. Riyadh is gridlocked,” Nazar Musa, CEO at Sovereign PPG KSA, told Al Arabiya English. “Public transport solutions are crucial to ease traffic flow around the city.” The entire project features six color-coded lines spanning 176 kilometers with 85 stations, making it one of the largest urban transport projects currently operational in the world. Forty percent of the tracks run underground, facilitating smoother journey times across the Kingdom. The system features 183 train rakes manufactured by Siemens, Bombardier, and Alstom, establishing itself as the world’s longest driverless metro network. The fully automated operation represents a significant technological leap for the region’s public transportation infrastructure.
