RIYADH l U/C l Light rail system. [Archive]

vc15nets

December 27th, 2005, 12:30 AM

http://www.alriyadh.com/2005/12/01/img/011306.jpg

http://www.alriyadh.com/2005/12/01/img/012500.jpg

http://al-jazirah.com/499029/fr01.jpg

http://img464.imageshack.us/img464/4709/mapriyadhmax9uz.jpg

One (North-South) will be built along Olaya st and the other (East-West) will be on King Abdullah Road.

Construction will start second half of 2006.

Plans under way for electric train system in Riyadh

The Riyadh Development Authority announced today that the contract to prepare preliminary plans for an electric rail network in the city of Riyadh has been awarded to the French consulting firm Semaly and the Middle East engineering firm ‘Dar Al-Handasah’. The study, which will last for 14 months, will assess the situation on the ground with respect to the social, economic and environmental impact of the project on the capital city as well as technical requirements in terms of locating suitable paths for installing the tracks.

Saudi Arabia has embarked on a major plan to increase its use of rail. In the works is a multibillion-dollar expansion program of the existing Riyadh-Dammam railway line, linking Jeddah and cutting transportation time for containers between Jeddah and Dammam by about one week as compared to sea shipment. Other planned extensions are from Dammam to the industrial city of Jubail via the Eastern Province’s international airport; and from Jeddah to Madinah, via Makkah, and on to the port of Yanbu, which will ease travel for millions of pilgrims.

Some facts about the project:

It will transport passangers from Northern Riyadh to Southern Riyadh, and East to West (vice versa).
The project is being studied by the French company Semaly and Dar El-Handasa.
The project study will cost 8 million Riyals.
It will last for 14 months.
There will be 36 stations.
The time difference between two trains is about 7 minutes.
The length of one train will be between 20-42 meters.
The width of the train will be 2.3 meters.
It can transport 2-20 thousand passangers in one hour.
The max speed will be 65 km.

Saudi guy

December 27th, 2005, 01:15 PM

i hope they rush and completion as soon as posible
they should create another one form Dammam and crossing Riyadh and finaly to Jeddah

K.S.A lover

May 25th, 2006, 03:29 PM

Oh wow..........cool ! Finally,some interesting urban development........Riyadh sure is getting more n more modern as the day passes..........Any more PICS?????????

nitzomoe

May 25th, 2006, 07:51 PM

excellent news hopefully the saudi government will begin initiatives to reduce gasoline consumption in the city!

mustafa

May 26th, 2006, 02:20 AM

good news

but when are they going to start construction ??

date please ??

Paulo2004

May 26th, 2006, 03:19 AM

Nice.

K.S.A lover

May 26th, 2006, 01:34 PM

they would start construction in the second half of 2006........

Qatar Son 333

May 26th, 2006, 03:18 PM

THATS QUICK

Riyadhi

May 26th, 2006, 04:48 PM

The Riyadh Development Authority should announce more information about this rail system in the coming two months!

K.S.A lover

May 26th, 2006, 07:03 PM

gohorns

May 27th, 2006, 12:59 PM

they would........this project seems to be silent rite not......but it only looks like,bcuz there r countless numbers of 'huge' projects going on in RIYADH (the best skyline city of the future)..........thats y its really hard fo them to concentrate at each project every tym.........

best skyline of the future? what are u smoking? geez...
also...the first post says the study is going to take some time...so there should be some time before any construction...

K.S.A lover

May 27th, 2006, 04:03 PM

Wat i meant is that 'RIYADH' is going to be the 'best' or 'one of the best' skyline city in the world by 2012 (inshallah)............and though it said "it would take upto 14 months for the studies of the plan".... but if u concentrate on the passage,it olso mentions "Construction will start second half of 2006"..........

Riyadhi

May 27th, 2006, 04:22 PM

first post says the study is going to take some time...so there should be some time before any construction...

The study was completed and submitted to Riyadh Development Authority on December of 2005. I’m hoping that construction will start by early 2007.

cmoonflyer

June 3rd, 2006, 11:07 AM

Cool project !

Mu9ai3ibun

June 3rd, 2006, 11:34 PM

It's a very nice project, but I think that they should make a metreo for the passenger trains, it will be quieter for the city, and will take away less space. The space that will be taken from the electric trains could be used to build more projects making Riyadh a more financial and modern city.

Riyadhi

June 4th, 2006, 12:11 AM

I think an underground metro would be awesome but 10 times more expensive!

yusef

September 5th, 2006, 12:18 PM

Has construction begun on this project? Any updates?

huit

September 5th, 2006, 02:35 PM

nope, no construction and no sign of it materializing any time soon!

gohorns

September 7th, 2006, 02:55 AM

yusef

September 7th, 2006, 12:53 PM

I was skeptical about this train thing before and I haven't changed my mind. I don't understand, can someone explain to me who this train is for? Gas is very cheap in Saudi so obviously that's not a problem. I doubt parking is a problem either. People in the kingdom won't feel comfortable riding a train with others unless they absolutely have no choice. And those with no choice are the very poor. So except the poor, I don't see who will ride these trains.
Plus, let's not forget Riyadh's extreme weather. The train will not pick you up from home and drop you off at work. People will have to walk to the station to catch the train and again walk from the station to their destination. How many people would be willing to do that? How many people do you see walking around the streets during the day?

For comparison's sake, let's look at another city. Let's take New York, which has the most extensive subway system in the world (as far as I know). People ride trains in New York because there is a serious deficiency or lack of parking spaces. If you want to park in a parking garage in Manhattan it will cost you a fortune. Parking for one day can cost $30-50 or more (well, that my experience). Plus, the traffic in Manhattan during the day is a nightmare. You can be stuck in traffic for a long time because of all the cars, tourist buses, and area/street closures. And, of course, there is always that risk of making that wrong turn and ending up on a one-way street and being forced to take the tunnel to Jersey (yes that happened to me).

Anyway, my point is, it is easy to see why people take the train in New York. Plus, people in New York are mostly okay with riding with other people. And to round off my argument I should add that getting auto insurance in New York City is pretty expensive as well and parking is scarce even around your home in most places, not only in Manhattan. That is why a lot of people in NYC don't own cars.

Firstly, you wouldn't have to neccessarily walk to the train, you could take the bus there. Or if there is a station close to your house you could park there and take the train for the rest of the duration.

Secondly, Saudi Arabia has many immigrants who would find the train very useful, as many of them can't afford luxery cars, or don't want to put up with traffic.

My third reason a train would be useful is for the large young population of Riyadh who can not yet afford a car, and a train would be a more cost efficent way for them to go to wherever they have to be.

Saudi Arabia to my knowledge is expanding at a fast rate, and more and more foreigners will be visiting its major cities and a train would be a very useful means of transportaion for them, as it is cheaper than renting a car.
Also during Hajj, Saudi Arabia will host some more than two million pilgrims of which thousands will mosly likely visit Riyadh, and the train would make transportaion so much easier for them.

My last reason is the benifits the local economy would obtain from such a project. The Saudi government could make hundreds of millions if not more annually from a project like this. Imagine if they charge $2 for a one zone ticket, $3 for a two zone ticket and $3.50 for a 3 zone with a time expiration date of two and half hours, these ticket would also be vaild for the buses.
Or a monthly pass of $25 for one zone, $40 for a two zone, and $50 dollars for a 3 zone. This would pump millions into the economy in no time. (I put it in dollars but it would obviosuly have to work as riyals in actuality).
Also Business or shops near the different stations would see an increase in customers for obvious reasons.

Saudia Arabia's population is increasing rapidly and a project like this would only help problems such as traffic conjestion and air pollution in the long run.

I really hope they do implement this project. Insha'Allah.

gohorns

September 7th, 2006, 02:11 PM

Firstly, you wouldn't have to neccessarily walk to the train, you could take the bus there. Or if there is a station close to your house you could park there and take the train for the rest of the duration.

Okay, so you're saying a person should walk to the bus stop (remember the bus does not stop in front of every home or go down every street), wait for the bus (in the heat because bus stops are not air-conditioned), take the bus to the train station and wait for the train, get on the train and then get off, umm...and wait for another bus then take the bus(?) to the nearest stop to the person's destination and walk the rest of the way. Excellent idea..I don't know why I thought people would just rather get in their car and drive to their destinations. Silly me..

Secondly, Saudi Arabia has many immigrants who would find the train very useful, as many of them can't afford luxery cars, or don't want to put up with traffic.

So you're saying everyone needs a luxury car to get from point A to point B? I didn't know that. Interesting! I guess those corollas and civics are just showpieces that sit at home while the mercs and bmws transport all the people. By the way, I did say the train would benefit the poor.

My third reason a train would be useful is for the large young population of Riyadh who can not yet afford a car, and a train would be a more cost efficent way for them to go to wherever they have to be.

I guess the kids can't afford luxury cars either eh? How unfortunate for them.

Saudi Arabia to my knowledge is expanding at a fast rate, and more and more foreigners will be visiting its major cities and a train would be a very useful means of transportaion for them, as it is cheaper than renting a car.

So you want not only locals but foreigners to suffer as well. God bless your heart. Here's the deal: I am pretty sure most people visiting the city will travel by car. That is because taxis in Saudi cities are relatively inexpensive and so is renting a car. And remember, business travellers are often taken care of by the people they are visiting. I think that's easier than taking the bus from the hotel to the train station and then another bus and then walking, not to mention all the waits involved.

Also during Hajj, Saudi Arabia will host some more than two million pilgrims of which thousands will mosly likely visit Riyadh, and the train would make transportaion so much easier for them.

Yes, during Hajj a lot of people come to the country. But, and this is the important part, they don't have so much freedom to roam around the country. They cannot go off on their own. In some instances, relatives or friends of the pilgrims are able to take them away. I know that happens in Jeddah, I don't know if people from Riyadh come and take their friends and relatives away with them. Either way, this means that they already have a form of transportation and a local guide to help them. Even then, would they prefer to learn to deal with the train system of a new city in a day (or two) or take a cab? I rest my case..

My last reason is the benifits the local economy would obtain from such a project. The Saudi government could make hundreds of millions if not more annually from a project like this. Imagine if they charge $2 for a one zone ticket, $3 for a two zone ticket and $3.50 for a 3 zone with a time expiration date of two and half hours, these ticket would also be vaild for the buses.
Or a monthly pass of $25 for one zone, $40 for a two zone, and $50 dollars for a 3 zone. This would pump millions into the economy in no time. (I put it in dollars but it would obviosuly have to work as riyals in actuality).
Also Business or shops near the different stations would see an increase in customers for obvious reasons.

Saudia Arabia's population is increasing rapidly and a project like this would only help problems such as traffic conjestion and air pollution in the long run.

I really hope they do implement this project. Insha'Allah.

I don't know how you came up with those prices for tickets. Obviously, you are not aware of the gas prices in Saudi Arabia my friend. The way you set it up, it would be much more expensive for a person to take the train than drive.
Yeah, if people are stupid enough to take the train despite all the inconveniences and higher costs then sure the government will make millions.

But will they be stupid like you assumed? Will the ticket prices be much lower? Will Riyadh's traffic and congestion make it unbearable to drive? Will parking become a big issue in the capital? Only time will tell....for now I am still advocating that this project has no merit.

YeMeNi_guy

September 8th, 2006, 12:09 AM

nice project

but that doesnt stop riyadh from being a boring depressing city :D

yusef

September 8th, 2006, 12:49 AM

deleted

yusef

September 8th, 2006, 12:54 AM

Okay, so you're saying a person should walk to the bus stop (remember the bus does not stop in front of every home or go down every street), wait for the bus (in the heat because bus stops are not air-conditioned), take the bus to the train station and wait for the train, get on the train and then get off, umm...and wait for another bus then take the bus(?) to the nearest stop to the person's destination and walk the rest of the way. Excellent idea..I don't know why I thought people would just rather get in their car and drive to their destinations. Silly me..

At least you didn't use any of those annoying smilies but can you please conduct your self in a more civil manner rather than speaking like a teenage girl who has just found the act of sarcasm to annoy people?
I'll give an example:

New York is not the only city where there is a transit system or some type of train. I live in Vancouver in Canada, and we have a skytrain (not even near as extensive as NY's transit system mind you), and people have no problem taking the bus to the stations to get to where they want to go. Infact during the day the skytrain is almost always always busy. Most of the people who use the skytrain live in the suburbs, and most of them take the bus to their nearest skytrain station. Not everyone has a car, nor does everyone want the hassles and expenses of one, such as insurance, maintenance, traffic, etc.

So you're saying everyone needs a luxury car to get from point A to point B? I didn't know that. Interesting! I guess those corollas and civics are just showpieces that sit at home while the mercs and bmws transport all the people. By the way, I did say the train would benefit the poor.

You are right on this point that the less wealthy do not need luxery cars to arrive at their destinations. But many of them can not even afford civics or corollas for reason mentioned in the last sentence in my paragraph above.
I'm glad we agreed on what you "did say".

I guess the kids can't afford luxury cars either eh? How unfortunate for them.

You guessed wrong. Now here you are breaking the rules of an argument by introducing ideas and suggesting them to be of the opposition. You might get away with this in an oral argument but not here, as one will just have to read my post and find that I did not say Saudi kids need luxury cars. These are teens and like most teens they have limited incomes thus taking the train would be a better financial option for them rather than dealing with expenses of car be it a bmw or a civic.

So you want not only locals but foreigners to suffer as well. God bless your heart. Here's the deal: I am pretty sure most people visiting the city will travel by car. That is because taxis in Saudi cities are relatively inexpensive and so is renting a car. And remember, business travellers are often taken care of by the people they are visiting. I think that's easier than taking the bus from the hotel to the train station and then another bus and then walking, not to mention all the waits involved.

Keep in mind that many foreigners would avoid renting a car not just for financial reasons, but they don't want to deal with roads, traiffic, routes, that are completely alien to them. During the summer in Vancouver many tourists visit the city and enjoy taking the skytrain as they not only get a more 'organic' feel of the city but they get to see alot more rather than relying on a taxi which no matter how cheap, the cost begins to rack up if you use it for everywhere you want to go in a single day. Waiting is involved but so is it in other places where they have a successful transit system. We have not arrived at the point where we zap to where we want to be.

Yes, during Hajj a lot of people come to the country. But, and this is the important part, they don't have so much freedom to roam around the country. They cannot go off on their own. In some instances, relatives or friends of the pilgrims are able to take them away. I know that happens in Jeddah, I don't know if people from Riyadh come and take their friends and relatives away with them. Either way, this means that they already have a form of transportation and a local guide to help them. Even then, would they prefer to learn to deal with the train system of a new city in a day (or two) or take a cab? I rest my case..

This basically boils down to the cab once again. The cab 'the answer to all of one's transit problems'....oh look I was sarcastic there, I guess it's contagious. We have cabs in Vancouver yet the skytrain is almost always packed. Keep in mind Vancouver is a much smaller city than Riyadh in regards to population, and we get far less visitors. I don't know exactly how much the average cab fares in Riyadh but I'm willing to say that they would be more expensive than using a train. And the difficulty of learning a transit system depends on how well implented the entire system is, this is up to the developers. Hundreds of thousand of pilgrims do not know a single soul in Saudi Arabia, so no they would not have a local guide or a means of transport through friends or family.

I don't know how you came up with those prices for tickets. Obviously, you are not aware of the gas prices in Saudi Arabia my friend. The way you set it up, it would be much more expensive for a person to take the train than drive.
Yeah, if people are stupid enough to take the train despite all the inconveniences and higher costs then sure the government will make millions.

I was using the city I live in as an example for the price of the tickets, of coarse they could be much cheaper in Saudi Arabia. And the government is making millions here, and the people are not stupid.

But will they be stupid like you assumed? Will the ticket prices be much lower? Will Riyadh's traffic and congestion make it unbearable to drive? Will parking become a big issue in the capital? Only time will tell....for now I am still advocating that this project has no merit.

The only one who is assuming here is you. With the expected population boom of Saudi Arabia I'm willing to to say a big YES to all of your questions above except the first one as it is obviously a trick question. And with that I rest my case.

mustafa

September 9th, 2006, 01:20 AM

any news about the train please ??

Skoulikimou

October 3rd, 2006, 05:42 AM

Riyadh gears up for mass transit system
22 September 2006

Riyadh is to have a mass transit system as the Riyadh Development Authority (RDA) is making final preparations to start building the city's 34-station light-rail system, according to the Arabic-daily Al-Riyadh.

The daily said in a report recently that the RDA is soliciting designs for the system as well as attempting to secure financing.

Currently, public transit accounts for about two per cent of daily traffic trips in the Saudi capital, while private automobiles account for 87 per cent and taxis and private mass transit carry the remaining 11 per cent.

RDA Chairman Prince Sattam bin Abdul Aziz signed an agreement in 2004 with French engineering firm Simali for designs and specification for the electric light rail system.

In a joint study with Saudi engineering firm Dar Al-Handasah, Simali said the light rail project would yield a good return and that a system of above-ground trolleys and trams in the city would reduce accidents and air pollution.

The transit project was studied by several local and international parties and was divided into several stages. The preliminary study selected a 25-kilometre, north-south route and a 14-kilometre east-west route for the electric train.

The north-south route would begin north of the Ring Road and run south along Olayya Street and Batha Street to the southern edge of the Ring Road.

The east-west route will begin east of the Ring Road and continue towards west along King Abdullah and King Khalid roads.

The first stage of the project is expected to service roughly 30 city districts with 34 train stations.
The report said that the city bus service will be rerouted and expanded to cover the remainder of Riyadh.

http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticleNew.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2006/September/middleeast_September491.xml&section=middleeast&col=

jiverage

October 25th, 2006, 04:09 PM

mustafa

October 26th, 2006, 05:31 AM

any news ?]

yusef

November 14th, 2006, 10:22 PM

Riyadh metro scheme on track
Saudi Arabia: Monday, November 13 - 2006 at 10:33

The Arriyadh Development Authority is continuing with the final preparations for the mega electric train project in Riyadh which is aimed at reducing traffic congestion and increasing the use of public transport, reported Gulf News. Economic feasibility and design studies have already been completed. The first phase will involve the construction of a 25km north-south route.

http://www.ameinfo.com/101599.html

yusef

November 14th, 2006, 10:27 PM

More info:

Published: 13/11/2006 12:00 AM (UAE)
Work set to begin on Riyadh metro project

By Mariam Al Hakeem, Correspondent

Riyadh: Arriyadh Development Authority (ADA) is completing final preparations to implement the mega electric train project in the Saudi Arabian capital.

Studies of its economic feasibility and design as well as the availability of funds have been completed.

However, studies concerning the best means of investment to implement various related projects such as the passenger stations and parking lots as well as the publishing of advertisements and the installing of signs are progressing on schedule. Studies carried out by ADA earlier showed that only two per cent of residents are using the public transport system.

An overwhelming 87 per cent are using private vehicles for transportation and the remaining 11 per cent rely on limousines.

Aim

The electric metro system is part of ADA's efforts to make the public transport system more effective and popular.

Riyadh Deputy Governor Prince Sattam Bin Abdul Aziz, who is also deputy chairman of ADA and chairman of the Supreme Committee for Traffic Safety, signed a contract earlier with a French company to carry out technical and engineering design works for the metro project. The French company carried out the work in cooperation with Dar Engineering Company.

The electric metro project is widely regarded as a major step toward easing traffic congestion and reducing accident rates and air pollution.

Electric trains will also help residents to save time by enabling them to reach their destinations rapidly.

Several national and international agencies and companies took part in the studies carried out regarding implementation of the various phases of the project. The first phase of the study focused on the rail routes from north to south and west to east of the city.

Preliminary studies have also been conducted on the regional and international experiments in implementing electric train projects, prior to implementation and operation of the project.

Phases

According to ADA sources, the first phase will involve the construction of a 25-km north-south route.

It will extend from the northern side of the ring road to Al Olayya and Al Batha streets up to the southern ring road at the Public Transport terminal.

The second phase will involve a 14 km route extending from the eastern side of the ring road across King Abdul Aziz Road up to King Khalid Road in the west.

It is expected that the first phase of the project will cover 30 districts. There will be 34 main passenger stations in addition to sub-stations that will be built according to the requirements of the public in the future.

http://archive.gulfnews.com/articles/06/11/13/10082177.html

Qatar Son 333

November 15th, 2006, 08:18 PM

thats good

yusef

February 1st, 2007, 09:51 PM

Any news regarding this project?

Saudi guy

February 2nd, 2007, 03:42 AM

isn't strarted yet!!!i dont know why but these project may canceled!

yusef

February 2nd, 2007, 04:06 AM

isn't strarted yet!!!i dont know why but these project may canceled!

Really? Where did you get that idea from?

Saudi guy

February 2nd, 2007, 08:42 PM

from my mind:D

yusef

February 2nd, 2007, 10:45 PM

from my mind:D

Well I hope they don't cancel it, I think it would be great for Riyadh, I also heard that they were considering the same thing for Jeddah. I will try to find a link for that story.

Saudi guy

February 2nd, 2007, 10:58 PM

that thing i Hate it here When they announce huge project we wait more than five year and then it easly canceled like jeddah train!

ahmed007

February 3rd, 2007, 04:01 AM

i think leting women drive is more important and easier than building a light train :ohno: .

Riyadhi

February 3rd, 2007, 06:50 AM

that thing i Hate it here When they announce huge project we wait more than five year and then it easly canceled like jeddah train!

I agree :ohno:

Saudi guy

February 3rd, 2007, 05:14 PM

i think leting women drive is more important and easier than building a light train .
WHAT???:doh: These is BIG mistake i hope thay not allowd women drive for million ressons ،Crowded roads and difficult conditions by goverment and You will not see any women at home and Finally, some young idiots will
Causing accident To get a chance To identify the girl:fiddle:

huit

February 3rd, 2007, 10:39 PM

^ Although its off-topic but I completely disagree with your reasoning for the ban!

gohorns

February 4th, 2007, 02:15 AM

I'm a thai in riyadh, lived in jeddah for a year and here for a full year approaching 2 months. I dont think this city really needs a mass transit system as extensive as a skytrain or subway. Yes, riyadh is a big city but think about who will use this train? Ladies? Families? The problem with this country is that with ladies always feeling threatened from violence because there are men who desperately need to see their faces causes much of the society's problems. My solution is, have buses, build trains, build helipads on every building but you still wont' be able to resolve womens lack of public transport usage. You'll just have south asian men cramming with the ladies takin drivers and taxis. Lift the ban on abaya's and decrease the men's want of 'seeing' and then you'll make it safer for women to ride buses and use public transport, then you we'll have less cars on the road. Remember, ladies account for 50% of the population.

Seems like everyone ignored your comment. Anyway, I think what you've said is very sensible and what I had said earlier...I think in this thread or somewhere I don't remember.

I don't think KSA is ready for mass transit. People won't want to use it and with the oil being subsidized, people won't be forced to use it either. Yes, the south Asian men will use it along with other poorer people...but can anyone here who knows the country say that they can imagine a Saudi family, with the kids and everything, leaving their SUVs and taking the train? Dream on..

As for letting women drive, I'm all for giving women more rights but from my experience, women are the worst drivers (and they can't park)...and they are often very distracted...so it may not really be a great idea.

Riyadhi

February 4th, 2007, 09:33 AM

http://i19.tinypic.com/30m7h8z.jpg

http://i15.tinypic.com/2le4idd.jpg

http://i7.tinypic.com/48mpt2c.jpg

http://i15.tinypic.com/473hr8n.jpg

http://i18.tinypic.com/3zk6rzm.jpg

http://i15.tinypic.com/2q1ap81.jpg

http://i5.tinypic.com/4bi24qt.jpg

http://i18.tinypic.com/2hcolg0.jpg

http://i19.tinypic.com/47xknr5.jpg

http://i5.tinypic.com/346u7oz.jpg

yusef

February 4th, 2007, 11:41 AM

Riyadhi thanx for the pics, are they regarding the light tarin project in Riyadh? Have any other updates?

Riyadhi

February 4th, 2007, 12:31 PM

Yes, they are for Riyadh train project and were part of a presentation that was given in Dubai two years ago.

Riyadhi

February 4th, 2007, 12:36 PM

ADA has already completed a comprehensive road masterplan that includes the addition of 300 km of freeways and 450 km of major road arteries around Riyadh. Among the major projects for the Capital city is the King Abdullah Road redevelopment, which is estimated to cost between $315 million to $450 million. It aims at transforming the street into a freeway with three underpasses, a 1.7-km-long tunnel, major landscaping and associated works. Work is scheduled to take about 36 months to complete.

However, the ADA’s ambitions for the city include setting up a light rail at a cost of around $2 billion. International consultants have been invited to submit bids for the proposed scheme, which would include two lines. The first one would run for about 38 km linking the north and south of the city, while the second would run along King Abdullah Street and extend 13 km from the east to the west of the capital. It is expected that the first phase of the project will cover 30 districts. There will be 34 main passenger stations in addition to sub-stations that will be built according to the requirements of the public in the future.

Meanwhile, four consortia comprising Saudi and foreign companies have qualified to present their offers to carry out the Saudi Landbridge project, the main thrust of the Kingdom’s railway expansion project.
The project involves construction of 950 km of new tracks between Riyadh and Jeddah and another 115-km line between Dammam and Jubail.
The Cabinet has also announced its decision to transfer the land currently owned by Saudi Railway Organisation (SRO) but not required for the land bridge, to state property.

February 2007

http://www.gulfconstructiononline.com/Articles.asp?Article=8343

ahmed007

February 5th, 2007, 12:00 AM

As for letting women drive, I'm all for giving women more rights but from my experience, women are the worst drivers (and they can't park)...and they are often very distracted...so it may not really be a great idea.

1- actually in countries where women could drive its known that women drive alot safer than men.
2- if tennage boys can drive then women should too.
3- men in the middle east don't respect driving rules. in most middle eastern countries its mostly men that drive and accidents per capita in the gulf and libya is the worst in the world
4- you are sterotyping, i am sure you haven't seen that many saudi women drive in order to judge them.

* people like you who pretty much don't care wether women drive or not because they are not directly effected is the reason such rules continue to exist.

nitzomoe

February 5th, 2007, 01:06 AM

3- men in the middle east don't respect driving rules. in most middle eastern countries its mostly men that drive and accidents per capita in the gulf and libya is the worst in the world

couldn't have said it better myself. The Middle east is the only region to have travel advisories due to bad driving! the sheer arrogance of some drivers (its not an arab thing, generally everyone in the middle east drives poorly) is incredible. maybe having women on the road may have an effect on their mindsets and make them more careful.

and as ahmed bond says in most countries women are generally better drivers, with less accidents on average than males.

yusef

February 5th, 2007, 02:46 AM

February 2007

http://www.gulfconstructiononline.com/Articles.asp?Article=8343

Good news; now I wonder they will actually begin construction?

Hassoun

February 5th, 2007, 03:20 AM

WOW,Gr8 :)
GO RIYADH GO :)

mahdial_x5

February 5th, 2007, 05:39 AM

:bow:RIYADHI:bow:

thanks maan for all the info/pics :okay:

gohorns

February 5th, 2007, 07:02 AM

1- actually in countries where women could drive its known that women drive alot safer than men.
2- if tennage boys can drive then women should too.
3- men in the middle east don't respect driving rules. in most middle eastern countries its mostly men that drive and accidents per capita in the gulf and libya is the worst in the world
4- you are sterotyping, i am sure you haven't seen that many saudi women drive in order to judge them.

* people like you who pretty much don't care wether women drive or not because they are not directly effected is the reason such rules continue to exist.

Easy boy, I AM directly affected by women drivers because I live in the US and women do drive here AND I have had some pretty close calls because of them so please, don't say anything before you know the facts. Having said that, I have had close calls because of male drivers too. I've just experienced a greater number of bad female drivers than male so I laid out my personal experience. Anyway, it could hardly get worse in the Gulf countries in terms of the way people drive. And I totally agree with you that those teenagers should NOT be allowed to drive.

bizzybonita

February 8th, 2007, 06:19 AM

whataa news !!! belive that train
woooow sound intersting , i hope will finsih it after 3years from now on:)

Saudi guy

February 8th, 2007, 12:19 PM

^^we hope that too even in 10 years:|

Mr Grosso

April 23rd, 2007, 03:08 PM

http://img120.imageshack.us/img120/8119/53km6.jpg

http://www.arriyadh.com/cgi-bin/region/index.aspx

Saudi guy

April 23rd, 2007, 04:38 PM

ist for single or family only:D

Riyadhi

April 23rd, 2007, 04:42 PM

hahahaha you know I wont be surprised if it will be for famillies only!

Saudi guy

April 23rd, 2007, 04:46 PM

then they should build two one for single and other for famillies:lol:

huit

April 23rd, 2007, 04:49 PM

What does it say? What does it say? I do not understand Arabic! :(

Mr Grosso

April 23rd, 2007, 04:57 PM

hahahaha you know I wont be surprised if it will be for famillies only!

then they should build two one for single and other for famillies:lol:

:lol: :D

ضحكتوني يا جماعة الربع :lol:

هي فعلاً ماهي بعيده يسونها جماعتنا تلاقي بكره مع كل قطار ثلة من عرابجة الهيئة
بس ما اعتقد توصل للمرحلة هذي ممكن يكون جزء منه للعوائل وجزء للعزاب مثل الباص :)

Riyadhi

April 23rd, 2007, 05:00 PM

lol, you are not making it any better for huit :D

Mr Grosso

April 23rd, 2007, 05:21 PM

^
^

خله يتعلم عربي :D

ههههههههههههه

Really I love huit like brother :hug:

:D

HiJazzey

April 27th, 2007, 12:06 PM

here's another render:

http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/gallery2/g2data/albums/160407/Rails.jpg

Mr Grosso

April 27th, 2007, 03:02 PM

^
^

Nice picture :)

DreaM1981

April 27th, 2007, 05:55 PM

I like this project soooooooo much. Thanks Riyadhi

Saudi Dunes

April 27th, 2007, 08:02 PM

Guys does anyone have any idea when construction on this is going to start? I've been reading about it for almost 4 years now. I've seen proposals, read feasibility articles so on and so forth, but for some reason they have not started yet?

huit

April 27th, 2007, 08:31 PM

^
^

خله يتعلم عربي :D

ههههههههههههه

Really I love huit like brother :hug:

:D

Thank you! :)

I'll learn Arabic pretty soon InshAllah!

DreaM1981

April 28th, 2007, 06:09 PM

Saudi guy

April 28th, 2007, 11:39 PM

^^yah i wonder too why saudi arabia always late in every thing......maybe there no trust.......

Riyadhi

April 29th, 2007, 07:24 AM

If I'm not mistaken, Riyadh was the first to starting planning for a light rail about four years ago but still nothing. During the time we are thinking and planning, Dubai will complete their metro project.

gohorns

April 29th, 2007, 07:27 AM

This project is really wonderful one but I do not know why UAE always does everything first lol. I mean UAE already started working on dubai-train 2 years ago why Saudi Arabia is laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaate always?

There is money, wonderful contractors, better economy, big land and everything!! Weird

Anyway this project is awesome and I believe that it can be a good execuse to marry in case if it will be for families only because I want to use it :lol:

Dubai's congestion problem is much worse than Riyadh's and it has been pretty bad for a while. Also, Dubai is growing much faster than Riyadh and like you guys rightly pointed out, Dubai plans ahead better than Saudi..

Saudi guy

April 29th, 2007, 07:49 AM

KSA like to play blah blah game and UAE ding ding dong:D

DreaM1981

April 29th, 2007, 05:06 PM

^^ lol :okay: I agree 100%

city_thing

May 9th, 2007, 08:16 PM

If this project is going to succeed, then you need to extend the lines and cover more of Riyadh. Otherwise no one will really need to use this.

Why can't women drive in Saudi Arabia exactly? I'm glad Australia and Britain (my homes) don't have such laws.

DreaM1981

May 9th, 2007, 08:38 PM

Saudi guy

May 10th, 2007, 03:03 AM

^^loooool

we already have BIG problems with men and you want women to have a car two, anyway city_thing have you ever seen riyadh roads?? it's one of the best roads you can see,all of it WIDE TOO WIDE but ther overload the capacity:)

Saudi guy

May 13th, 2007, 06:24 PM

the old trin in south riyadh what about it are they planing to remove it?

Skoulikimou

July 23rd, 2007, 05:54 PM

Riyadh Light Rail
August 2007

Owner: Arriyadh Development Authority
Budget: Estimated $3 billion
Scope of work: The project calls for the design, supply, construction and operation of a light railway system to serve Riyadh city. The project involves a two-track 25 km line each from Alya and Takhasusi interchange in north Riyadh to the public transportation centre in south Riyadh and a two-track line, 16 km each, along King Abdullah Street from King Saudi University in west Riyadh to Khalid bin Al Waleed interchange in east Riyadh. The train will travel at a maximum speed of 100 km per hour. Trailer width is 2.65 m and length is 35 m. Distance between stations will be 600 m in highly populated areas and 1,100 m to 2,000 m in less populated areas. The light rail system is expected to serve 1,500 passengers per hour per track initially and then up to 8,000 passengers per hour per track.
Status: Sources close to the project indicated that Arriyadh Development Authority is fully in charge of the entire development on behalf of ministry of transport.

www.gulfconstructionworldwide.com

Saudi guy

July 24th, 2007, 12:39 AM

they still talking and do nothing!

GulfArabia

February 15th, 2009, 10:24 AM

No Saudi Family will travel in a public transport with wife and doughters and children, this is for expats??

TRUE !! , saudis will allways perfure cars ,

GulfArabia

February 15th, 2009, 10:26 AM

Maxina

June 9th, 2009, 09:58 AM

Hey , is this the same as that Olaya-Batha Corridor?

SaraMMM

November 10th, 2009, 12:10 PM

hello
some news articles mention that the work on the light railway started. Is this true? and does anyone know the contractor that is doing the work?

thnx :D :D

November 10th, 2009, 02:34 PM

Riyadh metro: Construction work begins
Ghazanfar Ali Khan | Arab News

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has started construction of an ambitious light-rail project exclusively for the capital city, where 36 stations will be built in the first phase.

This project is aimed at reducing congestion in a city where 87 percent of the population uses private cars as the primary mode of transport.

“This Light Transit Railway (LTR) project for the capital city, as it is called, comes under the jurisdiction of Arriyadh Development Authority (ADA),” Mohammed Abu-zaid, a spokesman for the Saudi Railways Organization (SRO), said on Monday.

Abuzaid also pointed out that the SRO would receive eight train cars within 36 months from now from the Spanish company CAF.

“The total cost of these eight train units is about SR612 million,” said Abuzaid.

CAF signed a contract with the SRO for the supply of the trains and a four-year maintenance project.

Asked about the details of the LTR system in Riyadh, an ADA source said the final preparations to implement the project have already been made.

“The construction works have started on the two railway routes of the city,” said the source, adding that 23 stations will be built on the first route, while 13 stations will be constructed on the second rail link.

“The frequency of the services will be higher during peak hours,” said an ADA report obtained by Arab News.

“The electric metro system in Riyadh is part of the ADA’s efforts to make the public transport system more effective and popular.”

The first phase will involve the construction of a 25-km north-south route. It will extend from the northern side of the ring road to Olaya and Batha streets up to the southern ring road.

The second phase will involve a 14 km route extending from the eastern side of the ring road across King Abdulaziz Road up to King Khaled Road in the west. It is expected that the first phase of the project will cover 30 districts of the city.

Distances between stations will be 600 meters in highly populated areas and 1,100 meters to 2,000 meters in less populated areas of the city.

The rail system is expected to serve 1,500 passengers per hour per track initially and then up to 8,000 passengers per hour. Riyadh’s population has grown to over 6.5 million.

Source:
http://www.arabnews.com/page=1&section=0&article=128295&d=10&m=11&y=2009

jh1

November 10th, 2009, 06:04 PM

Work set to begin on Riyadh metro project

Arriyadh Development Authority (ADA) is completing final preparations to implement the mega electric train project in the Saudi Arabian capital.

* By Mariam Al Hakeem, Correspondent
* Published: 00:00 November 13, 2006
* Gulf News

Riyadh: Arriyadh Development Authority (ADA) is completing final preparations to implement the mega electric train project in the Saudi Arabian capital.

Studies of its economic feasibility and design as well as the availability of funds have been completed.

However, studies concerning the best means of investment to implement various related projects such as the passenger stations and parking lots as well as the publishing of advertisements and the installing of signs are progressing on schedule. Studies carried out by ADA earlier showed that only two per cent of residents are using the public transport system.

An overwhelming 87 per cent are using private vehicles for transportation and the remaining 11 per cent rely on limousines.

Aim

The electric metro system is part of ADA's efforts to make the public transport system more effective and popular.

Riyadh Deputy Governor Prince Sattam Bin Abdul Aziz, who is also deputy chairman of ADA and chairman of the Supreme Committee for Traffic Safety, signed a contract earlier with a French company to carry out technical and engineering design works for the metro project. The French company carried out the work in cooperation with Dar Engineering Company.

The electric metro project is widely regarded as a major step toward easing traffic congestion and reducing accident rates and air pollution.

Electric trains will also help residents to save time by enabling them to reach their destinations rapidly.

Several national and international agencies and companies took part in the studies carried out regarding implementation of the various phases of the project. The first phase of the study focused on the rail routes from north to south and west to east of the city.

Preliminary studies have also been conducted on the regional and international experiments in implementing electric train projects, prior to implementation and operation of the project.

Phases

According to ADA sources, the first phase will involve the construction of a 25-km north-south route.

It will extend from the northern side of the ring road to Al Olayya and Al Batha streets up to the southern ring road at the Public Transport terminal.

The second phase will involve a 14 km route extending from the eastern side of the ring road across King Abdul Aziz Road up to King Khalid Road in the west.

It is expected that the first phase of the project will cover 30 districts. There will be 34 main passenger stations in addition to sub-stations that will be built according to the requirements of the public in the future.

http://gulfnews.com/business/shipping/work-set-to-begin-on-riyadh-metro-project-1.265454

jh1

November 10th, 2009, 06:11 PM

and I've got some Pictures ! :banana:

http://www.caf.es/img/productos/gestor/20090310100621_arabia_gr.gif

http://www.caf.es/img/productos/gestor/20090310100621_arabia2_gr.gif

http://www.caf.es/img/productos/gestor/20090310100621_arabia3_gr.gif

The supply of 8 train units for Saudi Railways, each comprising one Electric-Diesel Locomotive which powers 5 cars with austenitic steel bodyshells.

The train has been designed to run at a maximum speed of 200 km/h and provide revenue service under extreme conditions. It comprises one locomotive, VIP cars and 1st and 2nd class cars with facilities such as cafeteria, PRM areas and all comforts associated with a high quality service.

Source : form the Spanish company's website (http://www.caf.es/ingles/productos/proyecto.php?cod=5&id=623&sec=desc&pais=27)

gohorns

November 10th, 2009, 08:08 PM

^^ Are you sure this is for the light-rail? I think this is for some other project that involves heavy-rail. Why would light-rail cars have cafeteria and different classes?

Ahmad Rashid Ahmad

November 10th, 2009, 09:00 PM

Riyadh badly needs metro/light rail..........

jh1

November 10th, 2009, 10:18 PM

^^ Are you sure this is for the light-rail? I think this is for some other project that involves heavy-rail. Why would light-rail cars have cafeteria and different classes?

I know . I was thinking the same especially when I saw " DAMMAM " (a city in the eastern province ) written on the front of the train :
http://www.caf.es/img/productos/gestor/20090310100621_arabia_gr.gif

but the article in Arab News states that the train will be provided by a Spanish company named "CAF" which i checked on their web site and found what i found

Abuzaid also pointed out that the SRO would receive eight train cars within 36 months from now from the Spanish company CAF.

could they be providing trains to the "Land Bridge" project as well ? I don't know
:nuts:

Saudi guy

November 11th, 2009, 06:48 AM

the exterior design is gorgeous! it would be more effective to do a buss stations systems for current moments!of course a decent buses ;P

Ahmad Rashid Ahmad

November 11th, 2009, 10:37 PM

Saudi Arabian capital, Riyadh, is the latest city in the Gulf to begin construction on a light rail system.

Work on a light rail network has begun in the Saudi Arabian capital in an effort to reduce congestion and air pollution.

The Arriyadh Development Authority, the body responsible for the development of Riyadh, initiated the construction of a light rail system to include 36 stations along a 16-mile North-South track.

There are plans to add a second 9-mile East-West track with 13 stations following its completion.

“You can’t tell for now but I think it will be useful, the city is really crowded,” Saudi Blogger Ahmed Al-Omran Aka Saudi Jeans, told The Media Line.

“6.5 million people live here and there is practically no public transportation system so it should be useful. Even if only a small part of the population start to use it, it will be good to release the streets from all the congestion,” Al-Omran said, himself a resident of Riyadh.

According to Arriyadh, some 87% of the city’s population use cars as their primary mode of transport.

The trains are expected to carry 1500 passengers an hour, but that number is expected to increase to 8000 once the system if fully functioning.

“There has been a huge revival of the fortunes of railways around the world,” David Briginshaw, Editor-in-Chief of International Rail Journal, told The Media Line regarding the current surge in metro construction.

“Transport Ministers, Governments and transport planners have realized the real benefits of investing in rail transport, in terms of its ability to solve traffic congestion problems and its very good environmental credentials,” he said. “Any city that knows its worth know that they have to have a rail system and that they can’t go on building more roads.”

Tenders for Riyadh’s light rail system were issued in 2003, but construction was delayed and comes just months after Dubai inaugurated its own system on September 9 under much fanfare.

The Dubai Metro took 49 months to build at a cost of $7 billion.

Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirate, announced that it will also construct its own metro as part of a massive $1 trillion infrastructure plan.

In October, plans for a regional network to connect all six countries that make up the Gulf Cooperation Council - Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman and the United Arab Emirates, was presented.

The initial estimated cost of $14 billion has since been raised to $25 billion, due to changing technical specifications, an issue at the heart of negotiations among regional heads.

The regional network is scheduled to be completed by 2017.

b_two

January 6th, 2010, 10:02 AM

^^^^

but who would ride an lrt in riyadh?

not the women i suppose.

saudis? maybe two or three times just for the experience but not for daily commuting especially if it involves walking.

foreign workers? if the fare is more than 2 riyals then nobody would ride the lrt.

just because saudi arabia has the capability of putting up one, it doesn't necessarily mean that it should.

but if it does... congratulations!!!:)

carbonated.brainiac

January 19th, 2010, 06:23 AM

Riyadh to get mass transit system
RIYADH - Prince Salman Bin Abdul Aziz, Emir of Riyadh region, said Monday that plans are under way to build a monorail mass trasit system.
Routes, detailed designs and engineering for a 26-mile light monorail on two lines are ready and awaiting budget allocation, Prince Salman said in a report on infrastructure development. “The planning commission has completed design and engineering specifications and implementation plans for the train and a comprehensive plan for bus transportation in preparation for launching the projects upon adoption of the necessary budget,” said the report released by the SPA.
The metro will include a 16-mile roughly north-south line through the busy Batha shopping area in the heart of the old city and a 10-mile roughly east-west line in the newer north where a financial hub is under construction. The prince also said a comprehensive network of buses was being planned in conjunction with the metro. – AFP

Ahmad Rashid Ahmad

January 19th, 2010, 12:17 PM

^^Nice news but it will take atleast 3 years to build it.......

jh1

January 19th, 2010, 01:23 PM

http://www.alriyadh.com/2010/01/19/img/753764163255.jpg

http://www.alriyadh.com/2010/01/19/article491033.html

Ahmad Rashid Ahmad

January 20th, 2010, 01:13 PM

Increasingly traffic-choked Riyadh is planning to build a monorail mass transit system, the capital's governor said on Monday.

Routes, detailed designs and engineering for a 42-kilometre (26-mile) light monorail on two lines are ready and awaiting budget allocation, Prince Salman bin Adbul Aziz said in a report on infrastructure development.

"The planning commission has completed design and engineering specifications and implementation plans for the train and a comprehensive plan for bus transportation in preparation for launching the projects upon adoption of the necessary budget," said the report released by the state SPA news agency.

The metro will include a 25-kilometre (16-mile) roughly north-south line through the busy Batha shopping area in the heart of the old city and a 17-kilometre (10-mile) roughly east-west line in the newer north where a financial hub is under construction.

Salman also said a comprehensive network of buses was being planned in conjunction with the metro.

Earlier reports said the government was studying a mass transit system for the six-million-inhabitant capital but no details had been released.

With only a handful of mini-buses serving a few routes, Riyadh has virtually no public transportation, and commuters rely on company transport or private cars.

Salman's report gave no hint on how the city will deal with one of the overriding issues of public transport: how women, who are banned from driving and who are required to travel with a male guardian and avoid contact with unrelated men, will be able to make use of it.

Currently women must be driven to schools or jobs by a member of their family or a chauffeur, adding to the growing congestion on the city's streets.

Yaghuth

January 21st, 2010, 01:35 AM

Ahmad Rashid Ahmad

January 21st, 2010, 12:09 PM

^^Most of these are realities......Lets see how Riyadh metro works........

Lallou

January 24th, 2010, 06:02 AM

I do not know why all people forget all the rights that women have in Saudi and they just remember one thing... Why women can not drive in Saudi!!

Women in Saudi has special malls, beaches, swimming poles, resturants and many other facilities.

Women here do not wait for long to finish any paper or get new ID or whatever at all. Women are first here always

All cars stop if there are women want to pass except in makkah lol cause it is so crowded.

Why all of you forget these stuff and remember one thing which is DRIVING!!

:weirdo:

AT the risk of turning this political....

The reason people cannot get over women being banned by LAW to drive a vehicle is because it is ridiculous and utterly preposterous.

I agree that many foreigners forget all the amazing accomplishments we Saudis as a people have arrived at, but driving in a fundamental right that should NOT be based on the prevailing chromosome in your genetic makeup.

The reason women do not wait in line is because we need our MALE guardians to do everything for us, and THAT is not our choice.

I am a proud Saudi female and I thank the current King Abdullah and custodian of the holy mosques for all he has done for us as a nation and especially the women of the nation, but please do not undermine our CURRENT struggle to achieve equality, which we do not yet have.

And about the monorail, I think it's a fantastic idea. If it becomes popular, imagine the reduction in traffic and also car emissions! Especially if it connects to the KSU campus.

Of course I am bound by the laws that make up our country to ask about the distribution of passengers along the monorail. Would they have a family section? I know I do not want to be in a situation traveling for 15 minutes being the only female.

Rody69

January 24th, 2010, 09:28 AM

women being banned by LAW to drive a vehicle

it's not banned by LAW :)

Sdare

January 24th, 2010, 09:58 AM

it's not banned by LAW :)
banned by what? please don't tell me religion

Riyadh Sun

January 24th, 2010, 10:28 AM

^^
ONLY TRADITION

Rody69

January 24th, 2010, 01:50 PM

banned by what? please don't tell me religion
:)
it's more like a cultural thing or you can say the people used to that>>
there is no governmental law in Saudi Prevents the women from driving or owning a car>

3baaad 4 Jeddah

January 24th, 2010, 03:03 PM

ما في اي خريطة لمترو الرياض

Qatar Son 333

January 26th, 2010, 09:12 PM

:)
it's more like a cultural thing or you can say the people used to that>>
there is no governmental law in Saudi Prevents the women from driving or owning a car>

Seriously :nuts: :ohno: than whats with all the chaos of women not being allowed to drive !!!

Riyadh Sun

January 26th, 2010, 10:47 PM

ما في اي خريطة لمترو الرياض

tow route

The First one from the south ring road ( the puplic transportation station النقل العام )
this will go through Batha street till sameer Amees square and then to king faisal Street till olay street then straight away till KAFD

the other from Irqa west then through king Abdullah road till Prince Jaber Roud to the east

b_two

February 8th, 2010, 10:56 AM

didn't they say the same thing about the one in Dubai

dubai is far more different from riyadh. it's like comparing apples with oranges.

dubai is more open compared to riyadh.

there are so many restrictions in riyadh unlike in dubai.

most women (if not all) won't be allowed to ride the lrt by their husband, father, etc.

most saudi men won't ride the lrt. and if it requires walking... the more they won't ride the lrt. gas is cheap so they would prefer riding in their comfy cars.

most companies here in riyadh provide transportation for their employees.

so who would ride an lrt in riyadh?

b_two

February 8th, 2010, 01:44 PM

if this get built it will be heavily subsidized by the government because of low ridership. good thing electricity is cheap here in saudi arabia compared to other countries that have lrt systems or else losses will be much higher. in other countries, annual ridership are in millions (passengers).

this is just my opinion and it doesn't really carry any weight. whether it gets built or not, it won't have any effect on me. but for saudis, on the other hand, i think you are bound to lose good money for something that you don't really need. do not copy what you see in dubai because dubai is a different place and infrastructures that were built in dubai were part of a masterplan designed for them. to emulate what they are doing is simply a waste of resources unless the masterplan of riyadh is also the same with dubai.

think of all the restrictions, the culture, the norms, and the mind-set of saudi society before you embark into a project that would require huge resources. once it get built, it will probably stay there for a long period of time... a long period of subsidies with money coming from your own pockets.

here's my 2 cents.:2cents:

Mesch

February 8th, 2010, 06:15 PM

Riyadh Sun

February 8th, 2010, 06:19 PM

^^^^
here in this thread . we are not comparing Riyadh with Dubai, go to this

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=1049385

Mesch

February 8th, 2010, 07:22 PM

^^ I know and I wasn't doing any comparisons here :)

b_two

February 8th, 2010, 09:43 PM

^^ I agree that this project does have a big chance of failure..
But if facilitations were made such as making the fees cheap and accessible for everyone, I think it has an even larger potential of success.
About the culture and traditions thing, I think you're giving it too much weight.
The culture will only affect its success if the rules were made by a religious authority, and even that won't affect it much.
Don't believe everything you hear on the media :)
(R we even mentioned on Greenladic media btw ? :D :tongue2:)

it is proposterous not to give weight to culture and traditions in determining the viability of a humongous undertaking like this because in the initial stages of any project, esp those concerning the public, these 2 factors are among the most important things to consider. how could you identify or formulate your marketing mix if you don't even know your market?

i worked in riyadh for five years (may 2004 - dec 2009) and i know how influential religious authorities are with regards to almost anything concerning the public; to foreign workers in particular. one proof is the mandatory closure of almost all establishments (eg. shops, offices) during prayer times, as strictly enforced by religious authorities.

i am the kind of person who doesn't believe easily in things that i didn't personally witnessed nor experienced.

but don't get me wrong here... i wish riyadh well regarding this venture and i am hoping for its success and viability for the simple reason that this project would employ thousands of foreign workers from conceptualization to operation.

Ahmad Rashid Ahmad

February 8th, 2010, 10:34 PM

Give us project's updates here........This is not a discussion thread

Also, the authorities must have consider all these things before launching this massive project.........:yes:

Riyadh Sun

February 10th, 2010, 06:25 AM

تحالفات سعودية وماليزية وإيطالية ويابانية تستعد لتقديم عطاءاتها لمشروع المترو الكهربائي لمدينة الرياض

رغم تأجيل مناقصة مشروع المترو الكهربائي لمدينة الرياض حتى اعتماد ميزانيته التي تصل إلى ملياري ريال، بدأت عدد من التحالفات المختصة في إعداد دراسات مبدئية للمشاركة في مناقصة المشروع. وقال المهندس الاستشاري جمال برهان إن هذه التحالفات المحلية هي اتحاد الراجحي مع هيتاشي اليابانية، واتحاد سعودي أوجيه مع شركة سكومي ماليزيا، واتحاد سعودي بن لادن مع سيمنز الإيطالية، كما أعربت شركت إمبريمبلو الإيطالية السعودية عن اهتمامها بالمشروع. وأوضح أنه كان من المتوقع أن دعوة المقاولين لتقديم العطاءات لعقود التصميم والبناء بحلول نهاية شهر مارس من هذا العام، متوقعا ألا تبدأ المناقصة هذا العام لأنه لم يتم تخصيص الميزانية اللازمة للمشروع ولم يتم تجهيز الوثائق اللازمة، ولكنه في نفس الوقت قال إن هذا لا يمنع من إصدار قرار باعتماد المشروع في أي وقت قريب. وأشار إلى أن فريق الخبراء الاستشاريين العاملين بالمشروع يشتمل على دار بيروت للهندسة وفرانسيس إيجيس للسكك الحديدية، وعندما يكتمل المشروع سوف يكون عبارة عن خطين الأول بطول 25 كيلو متر شمالا وجنوبا ويشتمل على 23 محطة، والخط الثاني بطول 14 كيلومتر غربا وشرقا ويشتمل على 13 محطة.

http://www.alriyadh.com/2010/02/10/article497323.html
وقال إن طول المترو الواحد يتراوح ما بين20 و42 متراً، ويصل عرض العربة 2.3 متر وتستوعب 20 ألف راكب في الساعة بسرعة 65 كيلومتراً في الساعة، ويقع المترو المسافة من شمال المدينة إلى جنوبها على محور (العليا البطحاء) في 40 دقيقة، بينما تستغرق شرق المدينة في غضون 23 دقيقة. وأشار إلى أن المشروع سيقام بعد دراسات عمرانية عن طريق حصر لجميع الخدمات والمرافق العامة وبعد ذلك سيتم تحديد المسارات، وتحديد التقاطعات ثم سيتم إنجاز أعمال التصاميم الهندسية، وتصميم المرافق ومواقف الركاب، ومواقف السيارات والمحطات الرئيسية والثانوية، وتصميم أعمال نقل الخدمات العامة، وتصميم العربات بما يلبي الاحتياجات الوظيفية لهذه العربات والتي تم تحديدها، وسيتم في المرحلة نفسها تقدير التكلفة النهائية للمشروع بعناصره المختلفة مثل خطوط السكة، ومواقف الركاب والعربات، ومراكز النقل الرئيسية والفرعية، والعربات المتحركة، وتكلفة تشغيل وصيانة هذه العربات، وسيتم تسهيل مشاركة القطاع الخاص في استثمارات المشروع، ويمهد لتوصيف أفضل سبل تحقيق الشراكة بين القطاع الحكومي والقطاع الخاص في مرحلتي تشييد وتشغيل المشروع.

Despite the postponement of the tender for the underground electric city of Riyadh to adopt its budget by up to two billion riyals, started a number of alliances competent in the preparation of preliminary studies to participate in the project for bidding. The consulting engineer Jamal proof that these alliances is the local Union Rajhi with Hitachi of Japan, and the Union of Saudi Oger with Scomi Malaysia, the Union of Saudi Bin Laden with Siemens Italian, also expressed Imbrimpelo Italian company on the Saudi interest in the project. He explained that it was expected that the invitation to contractors to submit tenders for contracts for design and construction by the end of March this year, and expected not to start the auction this year, it did not allocate the necessary budget for the project has not been processing the necessary documents, but at the same time said that this does not prevent pass a resolution adopting the project any time soon. He pointed out that the team of consultants involved in the project include Dar Beirut engineering and Francis Aegis railway, when completed, the project will be consisted of two first length of 25 kilometers north and south and includes 23 stations, the second line along the 14 kilometers to the west and east, and includes 13 stations.

The length of the subway one between 20 and 42 meters, with a view vehicle 2.3 meters and accommodate 20 passengers at speeds of 65 km per hour, and the distance from the subway is located north of the city to the south of the axis (upper Batha) in 40 minutes, while east of the city take within 23 minutes. He noted that the project will be established after studies by physical inventory of all public services and utilities and then will select tracks, and to identify intersections and will complete the work of engineering, design of facilities and attitudes of the passengers, parking stations and major and minor, and the design of the transfer of public services, including vehicle design meet the functional requirements of such vehicles which have been identified and will be at the same stage estimate the final cost of the project with its various components such as rail lines, and the attitudes of passengers and vehicles, and major transportation centers and branch, and moving vehicles, the cost of operation and maintenance of these vehicles, and will facilitate private sector participation in investment in the project, and pave the way for better ways to describe the partnership between the public and private sector in the construction and operation phases of the project.

ibib

February 11th, 2010, 02:00 AM

This is only the first phase of the project (the two main lines), don't know why it's taking them so long!!

Rody69

May 29th, 2010, 01:30 PM

Saudi transport ministry launches Jeddah metro
by Ben Roberts on May 27, 2010

Saudi Arabia yesterday unveiled plans for a Metro system in Jeddah, just as construction work begins on the equivalent network system in the capital.

The Metro will consist of three lines: one will connect the Old Makkah Road to Sari Road; one will run along Prince Majed Street from King Abdul Aziz International Airport to the site of the old airport, and a third along Palestine Road.

The announcement, made by the Ministry of Transport Abdul Aziz Al-Ouhali, comes a year after the oil-rich state announced a SR21 billion (US $5.6 billion) investment programme for the city’s transport system includes monorails, buses and trams linking Jeddah’s residential districts. The minister said the government would conduct a 15-month review of the country’s transport system.

Details on the upcoming system are currently limited as pages on the Ministry of Transport website are under construction.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Meanwhile construction work began this week on the metro in Riyadh. The light rail system will have 36 stations, with the first phase involving the building of the 25km link between the north and south of the city, with the second phase seeing the construction of a 14km line from east to west.

(any photos guys for this news!!!!)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The project adds to the significant expenditure aimed at transforming the Kingdom’s second city. Dar Al-Arkan Real Estate Development Co, one of the country’s largest developer by market value, revealed last October that it will spend SR7.5 billion on a new residential project in Jeddah over the next five years.

However, construction on the site, which will have more than 10,000 units and leisure and shopping facilities as well as schools, and was due to begin this year, is believed to have not started.
source
(http://www.constructionweekonline.com/article-8465-saudi-transport-ministry-launches-jeddah-metro/)

ibib

June 13th, 2010, 01:06 AM

Bombardier: Wins contract in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Canadian firm signs $241m deal as subcontractor for installation, operation and maintenance of automated INNOVIA Monorail 300 system in Riyadh
By Kevin Doyle | Tue Jun 1, 2010
TAGS: Construction, Construction Company, driverless operation, monorail, subcontractor, turnkey construction

Rendering of King Abdullah monorail ..Bombardier Transporation will work with leading Saudi Arabian construction company Saudi Oger Limited on the US $241 million project that will deliver a 3.6km (2.2-mile) Bombardier INNOVIA Monorail 300 system to the King Abdullah Financial District, the new financial in development in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Bombardier will operate as a subcontractor of Saudi Oger Limited, which will be responsible for the full turnkey construction of the new system. Saudi Oger Limited was awarded the contract by the Rayadah Investment Company, the investment vehicle of the Public Pension Agency of the government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on April 14.

Bombardier is a world leader in the manufacture of transportation solutions, including commercial aircraft and business jets as well as rail transportation equipment, systems and services. The company’s Transportation's Systems Division has delivered 60 transit systems in 16 countries around the globe.

Bombardier will design and supply all Electrical and Mechanical (E&M) elements for the six-station monorail system. The six INNOVIA Monorail 300 trains (12 cars) feature BOMBARDIER CITYFLO 650 automatic train control technology for driverless operation. Engineering and design for the Monorail vehicles will be centered at Bombardier's site in Kingston, Canada, and manufacturing of the 12 cars will be performed by Bombardier in Pittsburgh, PA.

"We are exceptionally proud to secure our first major project in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and to be associated with the prestigious King Abdullah Financial District. Our next generation INNOVIA Monorail 300 system combines service-proven driverless technology with the latest in wide-bodied, lightweight, aerodynamically styled monorail trains. They provide superior value and performance for demanding and sophisticated users,” said Andre Navarri, President and COO of Bombardier Transportation. Completion of the system is scheduled in 2012.

Edited by Barb Taormina

Source: MarketWatch

jh1

June 14th, 2010, 09:44 AM

from tatweer (notice the under-study KSU line):

http://i46.tinypic.com/2a80mcw.jpg

Bakr9

June 14th, 2010, 01:58 PM

انا اليوم وانا رايح لجامعة الملك سعود شفت لوحات كبيرة في الجزيرة الوسطي لطريق الامام عن مشروع البدأ في تحسين الجزيرة الوسطية

هل لها علاقة بالقطارات الي ناوين يحطونها ؟

Ahmad Rashid Ahmad

June 24th, 2010, 10:13 PM

As the epicenter of Riyadh’s burgeoning financial sector, over 40 towers will define the new King Abdullah Financial District. The development undertaken by Rayadah Investment Company features all the facilities, amenities, utilities and transport networks of a well-designed modern business district. Public transport connecting the district will feature a unique monorail system with all buildings, system’s and six stations integrated and linked together by a self-sustained air-conditioned skywalk system enabling pedestrian access to the entire development.

KEO International Consultants has been awarded the contract by Saudi Oger Ltd. to design the 3.5 km elevated rail viaducts, switch bridges, long span bridges and 131 piers supporting the monorail train system, Station 1 and the Train Maintenance Depot. KEO deliverables include the detailed design of over 30 bridges as well as complete architectural and engineering design for the train maintenance depot and station 1. KEO’s approach will carefully consider critical factors such as durability and maintenance, constructability, aesthetics, materials, economy of structural solution, and whole life cycle costs.

KEO will team up with Bombardier, Freyssinet and Scott Wilson to deliver the project for Saudi Oger Limited, which was awarded the contract by the Rayadah Investment Company, the investment vehicle of the Public Pension Agency of the government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Design completion for the project is expected in 2011 with construction expected to be substantially finished in 2012.

bizzybonita

June 26th, 2010, 08:35 PM

KEO to design bridges, depot and station for new Riyadh monorail

http://www.ameinfo.com/images/news/large/2/100082-keomonorail.jpg

KEO International Consultants has been awarded the contract by Saudi Oger Ltd. to design the 3.5 km elevated rail viaducts, switch bridges, long span bridges and 131 piers supporting the monorail train system, Station 1 and the Train Maintenance Depot.

As the epicenter of Riyadh's burgeoning financial sector, over 40 towers will define the new King Abdullah Financial District.

The development undertaken by Rayadah Investment Company features all the facilities, amenities, utilities and transport networks of a well-designed modern business district.

Public transport connecting the district will feature a unique monorail system with all buildings, system's and six stations integrated and linked together by a self-sustained air-conditioned skywalk system enabling pedestrian access to the entire development.

KEO deliverables include the detailed design of over 30 bridges as well as complete architectural and engineering design for the train maintenance depot and station 1.

KEO's approach will carefully consider critical factors such as durability and maintenance, constructability, aesthetics, materials, economy of structural solution, and whole life cycle costs.

KEO will team up with Bombardier, Freyssinet and Scott Wilson to deliver the project for Saudi Oger Limited, which was awarded the contract by the Rayadah Investment Company, the investment vehicle of the Public Pension Agency of the government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Design completion for the project is expected in 2011 with construction expected to be substantially finished in 2012.

http://www.ameinfo.com/236153.html

SNAEK

July 21st, 2010, 04:27 AM

^^

awesome :D

Mesch

July 21st, 2010, 04:58 AM

2012 ..!? Some of those dates only show how unserious those people are.

ibib

July 21st, 2010, 12:38 PM

2012 ..!? Some of those dates just to how unserious those people are.

^^ they just want to make sure it is done before the end of world in 2012:lol:

Rio luv

July 21st, 2010, 01:32 PM

القطار ألي تتكلمون عنه هذا حق المركز المالي طوله بس 3.5 يقدرون يخلصونه في أقل من سنه

ibib

October 18th, 2010, 05:08 AM

ibib

October 18th, 2010, 11:41 AM

^^^^By the way, some of these renders are supposedly from البطحاء
:nuts:

SNAEK

October 20th, 2010, 05:52 AM

http://img149.imageshack.us/img149/9730/34180295.jpg

wooooooow

i really like the idea of the rainbow :D

aseer2005

October 20th, 2010, 07:11 AM

http://img256.imageshack.us/img256/6670/84620902.jpg

http://img149.imageshack.us/img149/9730/34180295.jpg

http://img198.imageshack.us/img198/3861/36877191.jpg

http://img543.imageshack.us/img543/6527/71798975.jpg

http://img691.imageshack.us/img691/3821/27766174.jpg

ما أظن قبل 15 سنة الان تطوير طريق الملك أمتد 8 سنوات وبعده البطحاء والعليا :ohno::ohno:

DAMAC

December 27th, 2010, 01:07 AM

العائد الاقتصادي ل "قطار الرياض" يفوق تكلفة إنشائه وتشغيله خمسة أضعاف
«تطوير الرياض» تنهي التصاميم الهندسية للخطة الشاملة للنقل العام بانتظار الاعتمادات المالية للتنفيذ

http://s.alriyadh.com/2010/12/26/img/792901338985.jpg
نموذج لمشروع القطار الكهربائي وسط العاصمة

الرياض، تقرير - محمد الغنيم

يشغل موضوع النقل العام حيزاً كبيراً من التداول والنقاش لدى كافة الجهات المعنية ولدى المواطنين؛ لأهميته وضرورته في مدينة كبيرة كالعاصمة الرياض التي تزداد توسعا عمرانيا وكثافة سكانية.

وأضحى النقل العام مطلباً ملحاً في مدينة الرياض وقضية كبرى في جميع بلدان العالم تقام حوله الندوات والورش لدوره في تيسير الحركة والتنقل بين أجزاء المدينة، وأعدت الهيئة العليا لتطوير مدينة الرياض في هذا الخصوص ومنذ وقت مبكر خطة شاملة للنقل العام في مدينة الرياض تهدف إلى توفير خدمة النقل العام لكل فئات السكان، وتنويع أنماط وسبل التنقل في المدينة بطريقة فعالة وملائمة والحد من الاستخدام المفرط للمركبة الخاصة والإيفاء بمتطلبات التنقل القائمة والمتوقعة بما يتلاءم مع الظروف الاجتماعية والاقتصادية والبيئية والمرورية.

وقد استكملت الهيئة التصاميم الهندسية والمواصفات الفنية ووثائق التنفيذ الخطة الشاملة للنقل العام تمهيداً للبدء في تنفيذها فور اعتماد الميزانية اللازمة.

خطة النقل العام

تتضمن خطة تطوير المرحلة الأولى من نظام النقل العام بمدينة الرياض عنصرين رئيسين هما:

أولاً: القطار الكهربائي

ويتضمن إنشاء قطار كهربائي على محورين هما طريق الملك عبدالله وشارع العليا - البطحاء، حيث يمتد القطار الكهربائي على المحور الأول «طريق الملك عبدالله» بطول 17 كيلو متر من طريق الملك خالد غرباً حتى طريق خالد بن الوليد شرقاً ويضم 11 محطة، ويمثل هذا المحور عصب الأنشطة الحضرية على طريق الملك عبدالله، كما يتمتع الطريق بحرم واسع تم تخصيص مسار للقطار الكهربائي في المشروع الذي يتم تنفيذه حالياً، أما المحور الثاني (شارع العليا - البطحاء) فيمتد من الطريق الدائري الشمالي إلى الطريق الدائري الجنوبي عند مركز النقل العام، بطول 25 كيلو مترا ويضم 21 محطة وسوف يربط هذا المحور شمال المدينة بوسطها وجنوبها.

450 ألف وظيفة جديدة يوفرها النقل العام في العاصمة عند تطبيقه وتحديد 4 مستويات للشبكة تراعي كبار السن والعائلات

ثانياً: النقل بالحافلات

واشتملت خطة النقل العام على شبكات متكاملة من الحافلات تغطي كامل المدينة وتوفر السبل للتنقل الأمن واليسير لفئات المجتمع، وتوفر هذه الشبكة التكامل مع القطار الكهربائي حيث يشترك عدد من الخطوط الرئيسية والمغذية للحافلات مع القطار الكهربائي بمحطات مشتركة.

مستويات شبكات النقل بالحافلات

أعدت هيئة تطوير الرياض أربعة مستويات لشبكات النقل بالحافلات تتكون من الشبكة المحورية الرئيسية وهي الشبكة التي تمثل مسارات النقل العام عالية السعة، وقد تم تحديد خمسة مسارات رئيسية على الأقل، وتخدم بواسطة الحافلات ذات المسار المخصص ويمكن تحويلها لقطارات خفيفة مستقبلا عند ازدياد أعداد الركاب، والشبكات الدائرية وهي شبكات الغرض منها توفير الحركة حول وسط المدينة، وتضم مسارات متوسطة السعة، وقد تم تحديد 3 شبكات دائرية وتعتبر الحافلات ذات المسار المخصص والحافلات العادية الوسائط الأفضل لهذه الشبكة، والشبكة الثانوية وتضم الشبكات الثانوية مسارات متوسطة إلى منخفضة السعة، وتم تحديد عشرات المسارات؛ لتوفير تغطية أشمل لكامل أحياء المدينة وتعد الحافلات العادية الوسيط الأفضل على هذه الشبكة.

http://s.alriyadh.com/2010/12/26/img/872288794639.jpg
قطار الرياض ينتظر الاعتمادات المالية للتنفيذ

وأخيرا الشبكة المحلية حيث توفر شبكة النقل العام المحلية على الطرق التجميعية للأحياء والمجاورات السكنية، الانتقال المباشر لجميع فئات السكان وخاصة فئات «كبار السن، المعوقين، العائلات» إلى المحطات الرئيسية لمستويات الشبكة الأخرى وتوفر الخدمة على الشبكة من خلال الحافلات المتوسطة والصغيرة، وتعتمد خطة هيئة تطوير الرياض في تنفيذ المرحلة الثانية من نظام النقل على اكتمال المرحلة الأولى، وذلك بترقية بعض مسارات الحافلات إلى قطار كهربائي، كذلك خدمة المناطق الجديدة من المدينة بشبكة من الحافلات.

تخصيص 32 محطة للقطار الكهربائي على محوري طريق الملك عبدالله وشارع العليا

اقتصاديات النقل العام

تفوق الجدوى الاقتصادية لتنفيذ الخطة الشاملة للنقل العام بمدينة الرياض المباشرة وغير المباشرة، التكلفة المادية لإنشائها وتشغيلها بثلاثة أضعاف فبالنسبة للقطار الكهربائي فان العائد الاقتصادي المباشر، وغير المباشر لتشغيله تفوق تكلفة إنشائه وتشغيله بخمسة أضعاف كما سيؤدي تطبيق خطة النقل العام الشاملة بمشيئة الله، إلى تحقيق عوائد كبيرة على المدينة ومنها:

* زيادة عدد الرحلات التي تتم بواسطة النقل العام ستة أضعاف ما هي عليه حالياً.

* خفض الرحلات المرورية بمقدار 15 مليون كم مقطوع على شبكة الطرق يومياً وهو ما يعني توفير 400 ألف ساعة منقضية على شبكة الطرق يومياً.

* توفير أكثر من 450 ألف وظيفة جديدة (مباشرة وغير مباشرة) على مدى السنوات العشرين المقبلة.

http://s.alriyadh.com/2010/12/26/img/724986919818.jpg
تحديد شبكة النقل الدائرية بالرياض

http://s.alriyadh.com/2010/12/26/img/225137132840.jpg
شبكة النقل المحورية

http://s.alriyadh.com/2010/12/26/img/644567537737.jpg
مسار شبكة النقل العام المحلية بالرياض

Source (http://www.alriyadh.com/2010/12/26/article589086.html)

Riyadh Sun

December 27th, 2010, 08:17 AM

since more than 5 years studying ,, when they will start :lol:

God we fade up from waiting ,,, Riyadh is boring from its clumsy streets, :clown:

Saudi guy

December 28th, 2010, 10:31 AM

yah that true I've heard about this train for long time! Riyadh can not stand the traffic congestion forever!
I think the reason for delaying is that they are planning to do a mega project to develop the whole street (and parts of the areas).

Bakr9

December 28th, 2010, 10:38 AM

50 الف سنة وهم يسوون دراسات

لا واخرتها المترو ما يمر ولا 15% من اجزاء المدينة

طبعاً الله يعين سكن الرياض على الحفريات الي بتجلس 50 الف سنة ثانية

3baaad 4 Jeddah

December 28th, 2010, 08:49 PM

خلي الحفريات في الرياض تخلص و يزبطو المخارج و المداخل خصوصا على طريق الامام و الملك عبدالعزيز و يصير خير

جوهر الروح

January 3rd, 2011, 10:39 PM

مدري ياجماعة يعني يوصل للمطار ولا ما يوصل

Rio luv

January 5th, 2011, 02:00 AM

أنا ألي فهمته أن الخرائط هذي شامله لأنواع النقل العام المستقبليه (قطارات - حافلات -تاكسي)

Naif Saudi

December 12th, 2011, 01:00 AM

ياساتر ما باقي شي على الـ 2012 وهم باقي مابدوا بالقطار والرياض غارقه بالزحمة ومحتاجه القطار أكثر من أي مدينة أخرى

ألحين 7 سنين عمر هالموضوع وماصار أي فعل كله كلام
:ohno:

لقيت لكم هالخبر الجديد من الموقع الرسمي لـ مدينة الرياض

تصاميم مشروعي القطار الكهربائي والنقل بالحافلات في الرياض "جاهزة"
( الأحد 16 محرم 1433 هـ الموافق 11 ديسمبر 2011 م, الساعة 9:13)

كشف مدير إدارة تخطيط النقل في مركز المشاريع والتخطيط في الهيئة العليا لتطوير مدينة الرياض المهندس عبدالرحمن الشعلان عن جاهزية التصاميم التنفيذية لمشروعي القطار الكهربائي وشبكة النقل بالحافلات.

وأضاف خلال الجلسة الثالثة للمجلس البلدي لمدينة الرياض، أول من أمس، أن الخطة الشاملة للنقل العام في مدينة الرياض تعتمد على تحليل نظم النقل في المدينة، وتحديد محاور النقل العام والوسائط المناسبة لكل محور والتكاليف التقديرية، لافتاً إلى أن الخطة تركز على مشروعين متلازمين لحل أزمة النقل في العاصمة هما شبكة النقل بالحافلات ومشروع القطار الكهربائي.

وقدم الشعلان عرضاً اشتمل على المخطط الاستراتيجي للنقل، الذي يهدف إلى الإيفاء بمتطلبات التنقل القائمة والمتوقعة بشكل آمن ويسير، ورفع كفاءة نظام النقل بتطبيق برامج الإدارة المرورية الحديثة.

ووفقاً لما نشرته صحيفة الحياة، طالب المدير العام للدراسات والتصاميم في أمانة منطقة الرياض المهندس سويلم السويلم بدعم المجلس البلدي لمدينة الرياض لمشروع النقل أمام الجهات المختصة، لرصد الاعتمادات المالية اللازمة له.

وشدد المجلس على أهمية مشروع النقل العام وحيويته للمدينة في ظل التطور العمراني والسكاني، وأبدى استعداده لدعم المشروع أمام الجهات الرسمية المختصة.

واستعرض الأمين العام للمجلس عبدالله البابطين إحصاءات عن أمانة منطقة الرياض، أكد فيها أن نمو اعتمادات الموازنة لا يواكب نمو السكان، إذ أن عدد الموظفين ثابت خلال الـ32 عاماً الماضية، بينما تضاعف عدد السكان أكثر من ستة أضعاف.

وأوضح البابطين أن اللجنة التنفيذية ستتابع أعمال اللجان وأمانة المجلس، وتدرس ما يحال إليها من اللجان المختلفة، وتحرص على متابعة تنفيذ القرارات، فضلاًً عن مراجعتها للقرارات الصادرة عن المجلس البلدي في دورته الأولى، للعمل على استكمال إجراءات ما لم يستكمل منها.

وذكر أن المجلس يعقد جلساته أسبوعياً خلال الشهرين المقبلين ليقف على القضايا والمسائل المتعلقة باختصاصه في الشأن البلدي بمدينة الرياض، على أن يكمل استعراض العروض المرئية التي يقدمها مديرو الإدارات في أمانة منطقة الرياض تباعاًً، والتي تشتمل على نشاطات أجهزة الأمانة المختلفة، وهياكلها التنظيمية، وبرامجها ومعوقات العمل، ومقترحات تطوير أدائها.

يذكر أن المجلس البلدي في دورته الأولى نظم ورشة عمل لمحور النقل العام، شاركت فيها كل الجهات ذات العلاقة، وحضرها عددٌ من الخبراء المتخصصين في مجال التخطيط والنقل.