Alstom signs a significant contract in Saudi Arabia

At the forefront of sustainable and connected mobility solutions, Alstom announces the signing of a contract worth over €500 M with the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) in Saudi Arabia for the supply of a next-generation tramway. Powered by batteries, this tramway is set to operate on the world’s longest catenary-free line.

The tram system will consist of 20 Citadis B trains providing passenger transportation, including numerous tourists, on a 22.4 km line, serving 17 stations. Covering multiple districts, it will have stops in 5 historical neighborhoods of AlUla (the old town, Dadan, Jabal Ikmah, Nabataean Horizon, and the historic city of Hegra).

The Saudi project involves 9 Alstom French sites

Alstom has the status of a holistic provider in this project: from designing a complete tramway system to its commissioning, including landscaping, installation, and testing. « Alstom will also provide the electrical power supply, signaling and communication systems, as well as depot equipment. The group will ensure the comprehensive maintenance of trams and the system for 10 years through HealthHub, its predictive maintenance and fleet management tool », adds a spokesman for the group. In France, 9 Alstom sites are involved in the project: Le Creusot, Ornans, Villeurbanne, Aix-en-Provence, Valenciennes, Vitrolles, Tarbes, Saint-Ouen, and La Rochelle for design and construction.

Alstom in the Gulf and Saudi Arabia, a long-term story

To successfully carry out this large-scale project, Alstom can rely on its wealth of experience in the field of tramways, especially within the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). For example, the group delivered the Dubai tramway in 2014. More recently, it concerned the Lusail Qatar tramway, the largest tramway system project in the Gulf region and the country’s first catenary-free tramway. Passengers took it during the last football World Cup. Furthermore, the group is familiar with Saudi Arabia, where it has been present for 70 years, overseeing projects such as high-speed rail lines, metro systems, or automated systems (King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah). Alstom was also associated with Saudi Arabia Railways (SAR) to introduce the world’s first hydrogen-powered passenger train. « This new project is an extraordinary realization of many key elements of the Vision 2030 plan », comments Mohamed Khalil, General Manager of Alstom Saudi Arabia.