Saudi Rail Passenger Numbers Rise 16% During First Half of 2026
JEDDAH — 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.
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 2025. Urban rail accounted for the overwhelming majority of journeys, with 78 million recorded in the first half.
The Riyadh Metro was the biggest contributor, carrying 60.7 million passengers across both quarters. The Q2 figure alone represented a nearly 26 percent increase from 23.6 million passengers recorded in the same quarter of 2025.
Intercity services also continued to carry millions of passengers. The Haramain High-Speed Railway, linking Makkah and Madinah, carried 2 million passengers in Q1 and 1.6 million in Q2. The Eastern Train carried 389,000 passengers in Q2, while the Northern Train served about 246,000.
Freight operations moved about 7.7 million tons of minerals and goods during the first half, with 47,000 twenty-foot equivalent units transported in the second quarter.
The sustained growth comes as Saudi Arabia expands its rail infrastructure under the Kingdom’s wider transport and logistics strategy, with authorities seeking to provide alternatives to road travel, ease congestion, and improve mobility in major cities.
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