10 March 2017

Arriyadh Development Authority (ADA) has taken delivery of the first Alstom Metropolis trainset for the Riyadh metro. It is the first of the 69 metro trainsets for Riyadh that will circulate on the lines 4, 5 and 6. The production of the metro trainsets is on track and Alstom, a part of FAST consortium, is set to meet its deadline and deliver all the metro trainsets by the end of 2018. ADA launched in 2013 a project to build a metro network that would be 176-km-long and include six lines and 85 stations. 

Alstom is in charge of supplying a full integrated metro system for lines 4, 5 and 6 (or Yellow, Green and Purple lines). Composed of two cars each, the Riyadh metro trainset is 36-meter-long and is able to accommodate up to 231 passengers. Each train features three classes — first, family and single class separated by a glass partition. The trains will offer passengers a high level of comfort, ergonomic seating, LED lightning and advanced passenger information systems. The interior and exterior design has been developed as per ADA’s specific aesthetic requirements. The exterior car body features painted stripes that indicate the color of the line the metro trainset will circulate on. 

The metro trains are 100 percent motorized, allowing them to run on gradients of up to a 6 percent slope. They have been designed with the region’s climate in mind. One such feature is its powerful airconditioning system, capable of delivering sufficient cooling capacity even in extreme heat. “We are pleased to hand over on time the first Metropolis trainset to ADA. This landmark project will allow Riyadh residents and visitors to commute aboard a reliable, comfortable and environmentally friendly means of transport,” said Gian Luca Erbacci, senior vice president for Middle East & Africa, Alstom. 

He added: “Furthermore, Alstom is committed to be a close and long-time partner of the Kingdom to efficiently address its mobility needs.” The metro trainsets are produced in Alstom’s factory in Katowice, Poland. Metropolis is part of Alstom’s metro range. More than 5,000 Metropolis cars have been sold worldwide to cities such as, Panama, Singapore, Sydney, Sao Paulo, Shanghai and Amsterdam.

© Arab News 2017