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.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Polish city goes for Siemens ANPR
    September 2, 2014
    Siemens has won an order worth more than £656,000 to supply more than 50 Sitraffic Sicore automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras to the city of Bydgoszcz, Poland. The cameras, which Siemens says are capable of recognising more than half a million number plates a day, will be used to monitor traffic in the event of congestion. Commissioning is planned for spring 2015.
  • Siemens at Traffex 2015
    April 21, 2015
    As Traffex 2015 event partner, Siemens will be exhibiting products from across its extensive range, from innovative traffic controllers, signals and detection solutions, to the very latest traffic management, electric vehicle charging and traffic enforcement systems. Siemens new Service Operations Centre, which is being launched at Traffex, is a dedicated traffic management and support service which brings together the company’s existing Field Service Contact Centre, Systems Support and its Poole-based C
  • '190,000 trips' on day 1 of Sydney Metro extension
    August 20, 2024
    15.5km extension means 2,645 new metro services will travel through city each week
  • Singapore’s transportation investment includes road network development
    January 11, 2016
    The construction industry in Singapore is expected to expand over the forecast period (2015–2019), supported by government investments in transport infrastructure, finds a report by Timetric’s Construction Intelligence Center (CIC). While addressing the housing needs for the middle class population and focusing on developing renewable energy sources, the government also aims to improve transport and tourism infrastructure through projects such as the MRT Masterplan–Cross Island Line, the MRT Masterplan–