RIYADH — The Royal Commission for Riyadh City (RCRC) announced the beginning of operation of two more lines of the Riyadh Metro — Line 2 (Red Line) and Line 5 (Green Line) — on Sunday. By this, five out of six lines of the Riyadh Metro became operational. Passengers were received at the stations of the two lines starting from 6:00 am and the service will continue on the day until 12:00 midnight. The RCRC said in a statement that the Red Line extends 25.1 km from the east of Riyadh to its west via King Abdullah Road to connect King Fahd Sports City and King Saud University, passing through the Riyadh International Convention and Exhibition Center via 15 stations, and intersects with the Blue Line at STC Station and with the Green Line at the Ministry of Education Station and with the Purple Line at Al-Hamra Station. The authority said that the Green Line extends 13.3 km, from King Abdullah Road next to the Ministry of Education to the National Museum to serve several ministries and government agencies, including the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Finance, and the Ministry of Commerce, in addition to a number of commercial, service, and residential facilities through 12 stations. All stations along the line operated on Sunday, with the exception of the Ministry of Finance and the National Museum stations, which will be operated later. The Green Line intersects with the Red Line at the Ministry of Education station, and with the Blue Line at the National Museum station. The three lines that started operations in the initial phase on Dec. 1 were the 1st line (Blue Line); 4th line (Yellow Line); and the 6th line (Purple Line). The Blue Line connects the Olaya Street to Batha; the Yellow Line runs along the King Khalid International Airport Road while the Purple Line connects Abdul Rahman bin Awf Road with Al-Shaikh Hassan bin Hussain Road. The culmination of this phased rollout will occur on January 5, 2025, with Line 3 (Orange Line) covering Madinah Road, marking the full activation of all six lines. The Riyadh Metro, the largest in the Middle East and the longest driverless train in the world, was inaugurated by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman on Nov. 27, 2024. The Transport General Authority has handed over the Riyadh Metro operating license to the companies operating the Red and Green Lines, the FLOW Consortium and the Capital Metro Company (CAMCO), to provide innovative transportation solutions that contribute to improving the quality of life and providing the residents of the Saudi capital city with a seamless and efficient commuting experience. The Riyadh Metro project consists of an extensive network of six main lines, spanning 176 kilometers and connecting 85 stations, including 4 main stations. Passengers can plan their trips and buy tickets via Darb Application, provided by the Royal Commission for Riyadh City (RCRC) for smart phone users, or directly through the ticket windows and vending machines at the metro stations. More details about the train service can be had through contacting the unified call center for public transportation on the number 19933, or visit the Riyadh Metro website on the Internet, or accounts on social media networks.
