Skip to main content

Siemens constructing driverless subway in Riyadh

A consortium of Siemens, US company Bechtel and local construction companies Almabani and Consolidated Contractors Company has been awarded a subway contract worth US$10 billion by the Riyadh High Commission for Urban Development (ArRiyadh Development Authority). Siemens, whose share of the deal is worth around US$2.1 billion, is supplying subway rolling stock, electrification systems and signalling technology for driverless operation, as well as system integration.
October 11, 2013 Read time: 2 mins
A consortium of 189 Siemens, US company Bechtel and local construction companies Almabani and Consolidated Contractors Company has been awarded a subway contract worth US$10 billion by the Riyadh High Commission for Urban Development (ArRiyadh Development Authority).

Siemens, whose share of the deal is worth around US$2.1 billion, is supplying subway rolling stock, electrification systems and signalling technology for driverless operation, as well as system integration.

With a population of five million, the city, which previously relied primarily on diesel buses for its urban transit needs, intends the investment in the six-line, 175 kilometre metro as a step towards modernisation of the traffic infrastructure.

The signalling and train control technology ensures that, particularly during rush-hour periods, trains can operate at 90-second intervals, an operating frequency that enables the system to handle 21,000 passengers per hour. The two lines will be equipped with WLAN-based control system for driverless and conductor-less train operation, as well as automatic train control, radio transmission and 31 electronic interlocking systems. Siemens is also equipping the operations control centre for both lines.

Siemens will also supply the power supply systems, emergency power facilities with diesel generators and uninterruptible power supplies (UPS). The power supply systems use the electrical energy generated by the trains when the brakes are applied, which is fed back into the metro system's power supply and made available for all other electrical loads.

Siemens will also deliver a total of 74 aluminium metro vehicles, designed to run on standard-gauge track at a top speed of 90 km/h.

Related Content

  • July 31, 2012
    Dubai metro - the world's longest automated rail system
    David Crawford reviews the recent opening of Dubai's Red Line. The US$7.6bn Dubai Metro, the Phase I Red Line of which started partial operation in September 2009, will be the world's longest driverless rail system on its planned completion in 2011. With a total length of some 75km, it will then overtake the 68.7km Vancouver SkyTrain and be able to carry over 1.2 million passengers on a typical day.
  • October 14, 2014
    Siemens extends first driverless metro line in Paris
    Siemens has received an order worth around US$57 million from Paris transit authority RATP (Régie Autonome des Transports Parisiens) to supply the train control equipment and operational control system for the extension of the driverless metro line 14 in Paris. Siemens will supply its Trainguard communication based train control (CBTC) type automatic train protection system, which enables driverless operation. Siemens equipped the original stretch of line 14 for automatic operation in 1998, establish
  • November 25, 2014
    Siemens, Thales land Spanish train deal
    Spanish administrator of railway infrastructures, Adif, has awarded the Thales/Siemens joint venture a contract for the installation of traffic control, automatic train protection, telecommunications and safety technologies on the Olmedo-Ourense high-speed line section, together with maintenance over a 20-year period. The amount of the contract is US$637 million. Thales is to install the European Railway Traffic Management System (ERTMS) Level 2 automatic train protection system, wayside LED light signal
  • January 12, 2016
    Siemens to equip Line 4 of Paris Metro for driverless operation
    Siemens received an order from the Paris public transport operator RATP (Régie Autonome des Transports Parisiens) to equip the 27 stations of Paris Metro the twelve kilometre Line 4 with signalling and operations control systems. Siemens will supply its Trainguard MT automatic train control system that uses communications-based technology to achieve fully automatic, driverless operation. All train movements will be supervised via the operation control centre, which will also be supplied by Siemens. Spec