Cargo trains at the Saudi Railway Company (SAR) in the first quarter of 2022 achieved a 25% increase in the shipment volume they realized compared to the same period of last year after they managed to transport over 5.5 million tons of minerals and goods, as this increase comes as a part of SAR's leading role in empowering national industries and logistic services and its contributions to realizing the targets of the Saudi Vision 2030 to make the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia a connection hub among the three continents. Acting Marketing Manager and Corporate Communication Hisham Ashqar said that SAR cargo trains contribute to empowering industrial and commercial sectors in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia through providing sustainable logistic solutions with high credibility levels, noting that transported amounts during the first quarter of 2022 reflected on realizing environmental returns, such as limiting CO2 emission by 197,000 metric tons and saving more than 900,000 barrels of truck fuel (diesel). He added that cargo trains have also contributed to reducing traffic accidents through carrying out 2,340 trips that replaced 230,000 trucks from roads, which increased the levels of traffic safety, where cargo trains crossed over 1.2 million kilometers. Ashqar noted that cargo trains have effectively contributed to increasing the quality of transport in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and also contributed to increasing the efficiency of transporting merchandise, which enhances the competitiveness of Saudi goods through reducing transport costs.
