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.
