GASTAT: 33% Increase in Railway Passengers in Saudi Arabia in 2023

The General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) issued today the railway transport statistics bulletin for 2023, showing that the number of railway passengers in 2023 reached 30.3 million, marking a significant increase of 33% compared to 2022.

72.5% of intracity passengers travelled over one million kilometres, while intercity passengers represented 27.5%, completing 31,700 trips that covered a combined distance of 10.4 million kilometres in 2023.

According to the bulletin, Saudi Arabia Railways (SAR) recorded 5,200 freight train trips covering a distance of 4.03 million kilometers.

SAR operates two major freight routes—North and East—both of which collectively transported over 14.3 million tons of freight, representing a 5.6% increase compared to 2022.

The North line carried the bulk of the cargo, accounting for 94.3% of the total, which is equivalent to 13.5 million tons. Meanwhile, SAR's East route, primarily focused on container shipments, carried over 699,000 TEUs, reflecting a 3.7% increase compared to 2022.

The bulletin further revealed that the total number of intercity passenger railway stations reached 15.

These stations feature 18,359 seats and are serviced by 93 passenger locomotives and 559 coach cars. Additionally, 12 freight railway stations are equipped with 158 freight locomotives and 3,341 wagons dedicated to cargo transport.

The bulletin also highlights that the total number of intracity passenger stations stands at 25.

The bulletin indicated that the total length of intercity passenger railway lines is 3,064 kilometers, and the length of electrified intracity passenger railway lines measures 61.7 kilometers.