News 24 | After the decision to cancel the Railway Company. Where is the railroad compass heading in the Kingdom?

Yesterday (Tuesday), the Council of Ministers, chaired by the Guardian of the two holy mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, took the decision to cancel the General Railway Company, as of next April, on condition that the “SAR” Railway Company replaces it in all related contracts or contractual obligations.

Under the aegis of “SAR”

And the “SAR” Railway Company announced the merger of all rail networks between the cities of the Kingdom under its aegis, underlining its commitment to provide reliable and safe services in the three networks, which connect the cities of the Kingdom on lengths of more than 5,500 km.

She indicated that in the coming period, the focus will be on ensuring smooth integration and maintaining business continuity and the development of common passenger and freight services throughout the Kingdom, stressing that train schedules and operations will remain unchanged for the near future.

Broad prospects for investors

“SAR” CEO Bashar Al Malik said the company is entering a new phase in which it will take responsibility for all railways in the Kingdom, saying that after the merger, the highest priority will be given to the development of services, increasing efficiency, attracting investments and expanding the customer base in order to provide reliable and secure service.

He stressed that the merger will enhance the capabilities and capabilities of the company and open wide horizons for local and foreign investors, in several areas, including manufacturing, operation, implementation, research and development, etc., and will increase the content percentage of these projects with the active participation of the private sector.

Commitment to customers

For its part, the General Organization of Railways said that the decision to merge under a single entity comes with the aim of combining a long history with a pleasant future, and to maintain the continuity and development of business, stressing ongoing commitment to clients to provide services that meet their aspirations.

The Kingdom has become a global logistics center

Transport Minister Saleh Al-Jasser described the merger decision as an extension of unlimited management support, in order to achieve optimal investment of resources, and a step forward in the development process of the transport sector. and transformation of the Kingdom into global logistics. center.

He added that this historic merger achieved objectives worthy of the Kingdom’s position and its active role on the international scene economically through the logistics portal and its vital infrastructure, stressing that the merger is an important step in the field. the privatization of certain transport. companies in the sector, in a way that contributes to increasing efficiency and flexibility and improving service efficiency.

It should be noted that “SAR” has one of the 10 longest freight trains in the world, and “freight trains – minerals” have contributed to the transport of millions of tons of mineral materials such as phosphate ore, in addition to hazardous materials such as (molten sulfur and phosphoric acid) from the north of the Kingdom, and ore. Bauxite from the center of the Kingdom to its final destination to the port of Ras Al-Khair in the eastern region and from there to the world, with a capacity of over 11 million tonnes per year, thanks to a network that spans over 2,700 km.

Through “freight trains – freight”, “SAR” provides general freight services for goods between 9 different destinations in the east, center and north of the Kingdom, and freight trains have carried around 730 000 containers last year.