Native name مترو الرياض Transit type Rapid transit Number of stations 85 | Locale Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Number of lines 6 | |
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Owner High Commission for the Development of Arriyadh | ||
The Riyadh Metro (Arabic: مترو الرياض) is a rapid transit system serving the city of Riyadh. It consists of 6 metro lines spanning a total length of 176 kilometers with 85 stations. The project cost $22.5 billion to build. It is scheduled to open in 2019.
Contents
History
Estimates suggest that the number of Riyadh's population will grow about from 6 million to more than 8.5 million over the next 10 years. This will require the provision of more effective alternative ways to meet the needs of the city from population growth and transportation.
In June 2013, a shortlist of 3 major global consortia was chosen to build the metro. Contracts were awarded in July 2013, with construction planned to start in 2014 and take 4 years.
The groundbreaking ceremony was celebrated on April 4, 2014, with an opening now projected for 2018.
It is currently being built by construction companies including Bechtel, FCC, Strukton, Salini Impregilo, Larsen and Toubro and Samsung. It is expected to be the backbone of the city's public transport system. Integrated with an 85-kilometre (53 mi) three-line bus rapid transit (BRT) network.
The project will contribute to reducing the number of car trips by nearly 250 thousand trips a day, equivalent to 400 thousand liters of fuel per day, thus reducing the air pollutant emissions in the city. It is expected that the capacity of the project will reach 3.6 million passengers a day. After a few years from starting the project it will reach 1.16 million passengers in the beginning of the operation.
In January 2017, Riyadh Governor Prince Faisal bin Bandar stated that 48% of the project had been completed.
Stations
It was identified to have 85 stations for the electric train, including a number of major stations where several tracks for a train meet, as designed on several levels according to modern architectural designs. These stations will be home to shopping centres and parking spaces.
The project has the approval of the award of four major stations' contracts located at the intersection subway tracks and buses and had fulfilled the designs of the metro security requirements and safety of passengers and facilities project.
Through the supply of vehicles and the stations' sophisticated systems for monitoring, powered by monitoring cameras and early warning systems and; fire extinguishers together with safety systems in the tunnels and communication systems that allow instant communication with the competent security authorities control center. It have been identified main stations monorail sites, so where several tracks for a train meet, as designed on several levels according to modern architectural designs, and will be all air-conditioned and include comfort and safety of passengers, including systems, flight information.
Network
The Metro Project comprises the following six lines, as shown in figure 1:
The project was originally led by the late Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, former Governor of Riyadh and Chairman of the Arriyadh Development Authority, and is now led by Turki bin Abdullah Al Saud, the current Governor of Riyadh.
Rolling stock
Siemens is to supply 45 4-car Inspiro trainsets for Line 1 and 29 2-car sets for Line 2. The first was unveiled in Vienna on 23 February 2016.
Bombardier Transportation will deliver 47 Bombardier Innovia Metro train sets for Line 3.
Alstom will deliver 69 Alstom Metropolis train sets for line 4, 5 and 6 of the Riyadh Metro. The first trainset was handed over to the Arriyadh Development Authority (ADA) in March 2017. Each trainset is 36 meters long and can accommodate a maximum of 231 passengers. Trains are split into three classes - first, family, and single class - separated by glass partitions.
The trains are operated without drivers.
Operating control center
The project includes the construction of an advanced center for the control and operation of the train traffic management and control, and monitor all elements of the system of stations and tracks and facilities and systems, and will provide the center with the latest operating control and monitoring systems.
Monorail project will also include technical specifications and high design, notably the use of automated rail system (without driver), choose the latest specifications and technologies to vehicles electric train in the world, which allows the separation of the vehicles from the inside, and the allocation of a special category for families, in addition to providing them with communication services and the exchange of information for passengers.
Power
It concluded that the High Commission for the Development of Arriyadh, an agreement with the Saudi Electricity Company, the implementation of the feed electric power train project, which is estimated B468 Maghaffolt amp, through 12 Chairperson in the city, including station four converter President will be established specifically for the project stations, in addition to eight train stations expansion.