Saudi rail passenger traffic jumps 16% in first half of 2026
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s rail network carried more than 83 million passengers in the first half of 2026, up at least 16 percent from the same period last year, according to Transport General Authority figures reported by the Saudi Press Agency in quarterly releases.
Rail services carried more than 45 million passengers in the first quarter and 38 million in the second, compared with more than 35 million and 36.5 million, respectively, in the corresponding quarters of 2025.
The figures mean Saudi railways handled at least 11.5 million more passenger journeys in the first six months of 2026 than in the same period last year.
Riyadh Metro leads growth
Urban rail accounted for the overwhelming majority of passenger journeys, with 78 million recorded in the first half of 2026 — 42 million in Quarter 1 and 36 million in Quarter 2.
The Riyadh Metro was the biggest contributor, carrying 31 million passengers in the first quarter and 29.7 million in the second, for a combined 60.7 million journeys.
The Q2 figure alone represented a nearly 26% increase from the 23.6 million passengers recorded by the metro in the same quarter of 2025.
The automated people mover at King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah carried about 10 million passengers in Q1 and 3.9 million in Q2. The corresponding figure for Q2 2025 was 7.76 million.
The automated people mover at Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University carried about 621,000 passengers in Q1 and 635,000 in Q2.
The figures highlight the expanding role of urban rail in Saudi Arabia as authorities seek to provide alternatives to road travel, ease congestion and improve mobility in major cities.
Intercity services
Intercity rail also continued to carry millions of passengers during the first half.
The Haramain High-Speed Railway, linking Makkah and Madinah through Jeddah, King Abdulaziz International Airport and King Abdullah Economic City, carried 2 million passengers in Q1 and 1.6 million in Q2.
The Eastern Train, which connects Riyadh with cities in the Eastern Region, carried 389,000 passengers in Q2, while the Northern Train, serving destinations including Majmaah, Qassim, Hail, Al-Jouf and Qurayyat, carried about 246,000.
The sustained growth in passenger numbers comes as Saudi Arabia expands its rail and public transport infrastructure as part of efforts to improve mobility and quality of life under the Kingdom’s wider transport and logistics strategy.
Freight and containers
Passenger transport dominated the latest TGA figures, but rail also moved about 7.7 million tons of minerals and goods during the first half of 2026.
In addition, the authority reported 47,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) transported during the second quarter.
The TGA said railways contribute to economic development and environmental sustainability by connecting cities and economic centers, reducing road congestion and strengthening transport links across the Kingdom.
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