‎Saudi train passengers surge 266% to 156.4M in 2025

19659001 The overall variety of guests taking a trip by rail within and in between cities in Saudi Arabia increased to 156.4 million in 2025, compared to 42.7 million in 2024, marking a yearly boost of 266%. 19659003 This boost was driven by a 368% leap in the variety of travelers taking a trip on city rail services to 145.4 million, compared to 31.1 million in 2024, according to information launched by the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT). By contrast, the variety of intercity rail travelers fell 6% to 10.9 million, from 11.6 million a year previously. Rail Passengers Within and Between Saudi Cities (mln) 19659007 Sign 2024 19659009 2025 19659010 Modification 19659011 Urban rail guests 19659012 31.08 145.43 19659014 368% 19659015 Intercity rail guests 19659016 11.59 19659017 10.94 (6%) 19659019 Overall travelers within and in between cities 42.67 156.37 19659022 266% 19659023 19659024 Historic Growth in Rail Passengers in Saudi Arabia 19659025 Year Travelers Modification 2017 5.67 — 2018 6.54 15% 19659034 2019 19659035 7.48 14% 2020 2.42 (68%) 2021 19659041 7.34 203% 2022 19659044 22.78 19659045 210% 2023 30.29 19659048 33% 2024 42.67 19659051 41% 2025 156.37 266% 19659055 The boost in guest numbers in 2025 was primarily driven by greater ridership on the Riyadh Metro, which started operations in December 2024, in addition to development in traveler numbers on the automated train at King Abdulaziz International Airport (KAIA). 19659057 The Riyadh Metro ranked initially in regards to guest numbers in 2025, bring around 105.4 million travelers, followed by the automated train at KAIA with 34.7 million travelers, and the Haramain High-Speed Railway (HHR) with 8.5 million guests. Guest Numbers by Train 2024 2025 Yearly modification Share of overall 19659065 Riyadh Metro 19659066 5.40 105.43 1,853% 19659069 67.4% KAIA automated train 19659071 20.39 19659072 34.72 19659073 70% 22.2% HHR 9.21 8.53 19659078 (7%) 19659079 5.5% PNU Train 3.07 3.40 11% 2.2% Al-Mashaaer Train 2.22 19659087 1.87 (15%) 1.2% East Train 19659091 1.49 19659092 1.48 (1%) 0.9% North Train 19659096 0.88 19659097 0.93 5% 0.6% Overall 19659101 42.67 156.37 19659103 266% 19659104 100% Rail Passenger Transport Performance 19659106 Rail guest transportation efficiency in Saudi Arabia reached around 3.60 billion passenger-kilometers in 2025, compared to 3.72 billion passenger-kilometers in 2024, down 3%. HHR represented the biggest share of overall passenger-kilometers, at 76%, regardless of a 6% decrease in its efficiency to around 2.74 billion passenger-kilometers. Passenger-kilometers on the East Train increased 8%, while those on the North Train increased 7%. 19659109 19659110 Guest Transport Performance by Train ( 19659112 mln passenger-kilometers 19659113 19659114 Train 19659115 2024 2025 19659117 Modification 19659118 HHR 19659119 2,919.8 19659120 2,743.0 19659121 (6%) East Train 19659123 458.0 19659124 496.0 8% 19659126 North Train 19659127 346.5 370.3 19659129 7% Overall 3,724.3 3,609.3 19659133 (3%) 19659134 Rail Freight volumes carried throughout Saudi Arabia’s train network, making up the North and East trains, reached around 16.1 million heaps in 2025. 19659136 The North Train represented the biggest share of freight volumes, bring around 14.4 million lots, while the East Train transferred around 1.7 million lots. 19659137 The East Train likewise carried around 915,400 basic containers. Freight Volumes on the North and East Trains by Commodity in 2025 19659140 Train 19659141 19659142 19459042 Product 19659143 19659144 19459042 Freight volume (‘000 heaps) 19659146 North Train 19659147 19459042 Phosphate 5,109.0 19659150 19659151 Bauxite 5,032.6 19659154 19659155 Phosphoric acid 2,569.9 19659157 19659158 Molten sulfur 1,685.5 19659161 East Train Limestone 19659164 19659165 19459042 782.8 19659166 19459042 Grains 19659168 19659169 756.9 19659170 Grains 19659171 19659172 19459042 117.0 19659174 Overall 16,053.7 19659176 Train Operational Performance 19659177 Traveler trains ran around 1.4 million journeys in 2025, covering an overall range of 42.3 million kilometers. The Riyadh Metro represented 949,400 journeys, covering an overall range of 26.8 million kilometers. 19659178 Rail Passenger Trips and Distance Covered by Train in 2025 Train Place Journeys (‘000) Range covered (mln km) Riyadh Metro 19659185 Within cities 949.4 19659187 26.80 KAIA automated train Within cities 19659190 392.2 19659191 0.34 19659192 HHR In between cities 19659194 35.2 19659195 11.20 East Train In between cities 5.4 2.15 19659200 North Train 19659201 In between cities 19659202 2.3 1.12 19659204 Al-Mashaaer Train Within cities 2.2 0.05 PNU Train * Within cities — 0.67 19659212 Overall 19659213 1,386.5 19659214 42.32 * Data on automated train motions are not offered. 19659216 Freight trains ran 8,885 journeys, covering around 6.1 million kilometers. The East Train represented 5,918 journeys. 19659217 19659218 Rail Freight Trips and Distance Covered by Train in 2025 19659219 Train Place No. of journeys Range covered (mln km) East Train In between cities 19659225 5,918 2.44 North Train 19659228 In between cities 19659229 2,967 19659230 3.68 Overall 19659232 8,885 19659233 6.12 19659234