Train Passengers Soar 41 % in Saudi Arabia to 42.7 Million in 2024

Rail passenger numbers in Saudi Arabia reached around 42.7 million in 2024, marking a 40.9 % increase compared with 2023, according to data released by the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT).

Intra-city services accounted for 72.8% of passengers, while inter-city services made up 27.2%. Passengers travelled more than 12.5 million kilometres across 35,600 trips during the year, and the fourth quarter recorded the highest share of annual passenger volume at 36.7%.

Rail freight activity reached approximately 15.6 million tons in 2024, reflecting a 9% increase compared to 2023. Goods were transported on 6,807 train trips covering about 6.3 million kilometres. By commodity, bauxite accounted for 33.7% of transported goods, followed by phosphates at 30.7% and phosphoric acid at 14.2%. The highest share of freight movement was recorded in the third quarter, at 28.5% of the annual total. The number of containers transported reached approximately 887,900 standard containers, up 27% year-on-year.

On infrastructure, the number of intercity passenger stations reached 15 in 2024. The intercity passenger fleet comprised 93 locomotives and 673 cars, representing a 20.4% increase over 2023. The number of freight stations reached 12, with 175 locomotives and 3,384 cars, a 10.8% increase. The number of intra-city train stations reached 110 in 2024.