Middle East
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Metro Report InternationalTurquoise tram route added to Lusail network
QATAR: Revenue-earning Turquoise Line tram services in Lusail north of Doha began on January 6. The Turquoise Line is the third element of the Lusail tram network to open, and services make extensive use of alignments that are already open. Trams run ...
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NewsUAE – Oman railway systems integration contract awarded
ASIA: Hassan Allam Construction has appointed Italian certification and engineering company RINA to provided system engineering and integration services for the Hafeet Rail project to build a 303 km mixed-traffic line linking the port of Sohar in Oman with Abu Dhabi in the UAE. In April ...
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NewsAlUla rail skills development agreement
SAUDI ARABIA: The Royal Commission for AlUla and Saudi Railway Polytechnic have announced an agreement to boost the capabilities of young Saudis looking to launch a career in AlUla and in the country’s rail sector. Officially signed by representatives of The Royal Commission for AlUla and ...
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NewsSaudi Arabian trains to blend modern aesthetics and advanced technology
SAUDI ARABIA: National operator Saudi Arabia Railways has selected Swiss design consultancy Nose Design Experience to support the development of its next-generation of inter-city trainsets. In February 2024 SAR awarded Stadler contracts worth SFr600m to supply and maintain 10 trainsets for use on the East line ...
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Metro Report InternationalOrange Line launch completes Riyadh metro openings
SAUDI ARABIA: The last of the six metro lines in Riyadh opened on January 5 when services began on Line 3, the Orange Line. An initial five stations have opened, at Jeddah Road, Tuwaiq, Al Dawh, Harun Al Rashid Road and An Naseem. A number of ...
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Metro Report InternationalDubai Metro Blue Line construction contract awarded
UAE: Dubai’s Roads & Transport Authority has awarded the contract for construction of the metro network’s Blue Line to a Turkish-Chinese consortium comprising civil works contractors Mapa and Limak with railway systems supplier CRRC. The project is valued at 20·5bn dirhams, with construction to begin in ...
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Metro Report InternationalRiyadh metro Red and Green lines open to passengers
SAUDI ARABIA: The next phase of the Riyadh metro project was completed on December 15 with the launch of passenger services on the Red and Green lines. Five of the six lines are now open. King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud officially inaugurated the network ...
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NewsEgyptian National Railways orders ‘state-of-the-art’ track maintenance fleet
EGYPT: Plasser & Theurer has signed a contract to supply a fleet of track maintenance machines to Egyptian National Railways. Announcing the order on December 4, Plasser & Theurer said the significant investment in of ‘state-of-the-art’ machines would enable ENR to increase the safety, efficiency and ...
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Metro Report InternationalKing inaugurates Riyadh Metro ahead of public opening
SAUDI ARABIA: King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud officially inaugurated the Riyadh Metro as the future backbone of the capital’s public transport network on November 27. A phased opening to passengers is planned between December 1 and January 5.
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NewsBashteel hub in Greater Cairo opens
EGYPT: President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi inaugurated Bashteel main line station in Giza, west of Cairo, on October 12. Also referred to as the Upper Egypt hub, Bashteel has been built to relieve the congested hub at Ramses, located to the east in the city centre. ...
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Metro Report InternationalKing Abdullah Financial District monorail contract signed
SAUDI ARABIA: Contracts have been awarded for the construction of a monorail within Riyadh’s King Abdullah Financial District mixed-use development. This is intended to reduce the need for private vehicles as part of the vision for a walkable ‘10 min city’. The 3·6 km elevated circular ...
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NewsSinai passenger train launched
EGYPT: The first passenger service in more than 50 years ran on the 100 km line linking Al Ismailia on the Suez canal with Bir-al-Abd in the north of the Sinai Peninsula on October 7. Travel was free of charge for the first week. Transport Minister ...
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NewsSaudi Arabia Railways says its 2035 vision offers ‘excellent investment opportunities’
Saudi Arabia Railways’ updated business strategy running to 2035 includes an 8 000 km expansion of the network, becoming financially self-sustaining and partnering with leading technology suppliers, CEO Dr Bashar bin Khalid Al Malik tells Railway Gazette International.
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NewsOman – UAE railway locomotive and technical support contracts awarded
ASIA: UAE to Oman railway project promoter Hafeet Rail has awarded Progress Rail a contact to supply 27 EMD SD70ACS diesel locomotives. These will be designed to withstand the desert conditions, with advanced sand filtration systems as well as carbon emission reduction technologies. ‘This partnership reaffirms ...
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NewsSaudi Arabia Railways seeks 200 km/h trainsets
SAUDI ARABIA: National operator Saudi Arabia Railways has invited expressions of interest in the supply of 200 km/h trainsets to expand and modernise the passenger fleet on the north–south network. SAR is seeking 15 trainsets each comprising two power cars and five coaches, as well eight ...
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Metro Report InternationalCairo operator trials sign language services
EGYPT: Operator RATP Dev is trialling sign language services on the Capital Train line which connects Cairo with the New Administrative Capital. Instructional videos with sign language translation will be available at ticket offices and on platforms at Adly Mansour station, enabling passengers with hearing impairments ...
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NewsVelaro high speed train designed for Egypt’s hot and sandy conditions
EGYPT: The first of the 250 km/h Velaro high speed trains that Siemens Mobility is building for the 2 000 km turnkey rail system being developed in Egypt has been unveiled at the InnoTrans trade fair in Berlin. In a short event the train ...
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Metro Report InternationalCairo Metro Line 1 to be modernised
EGYPT: The National Authority for Tunnels has awarded a €850m contract for renovation of Cairo Metro’s Line 1 to a consortium led by Colas Rail with Orascom Construction and Hitachi Rail. Colas Rail and Orascom will modernise power supplies, catenary and electromechanical systems, with Hitachi Rail ...
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NewsJordan and UAE to co-operate on Aqaba railway project
JORDAN: Government and railway officials from the United Arab Emirates have signed four agreements to support Jordan with a US$2·3bn project to build a 360 km railway linking potassium and phosphate production facilities to the port of Aqaba. The line would run from Aqaba’s phosphate export ...
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Metro Report InternationalTel Aviv and Jerusalem metro plans make progress
ISRAEL: The Knesset voted to approve the bill authorising the Tel Aviv metro project on July 25, and the Ministry of Transport has given Jerusalem municipality approval to begin planning a metro. The 150bn shekel Tel Aviv project comprises three lines totalling 150 route-km with 109 ...