Saudi Railway opens Hail train station
The Northern Railway covers 2,750km and is the longest in KSA for passenger and freight transport
The Saudi Railway has officially opened its fourth station on the Northern Railway network at Hail City, according to a report by the Saudi Gazette.
The station was inaugurated by the Emir of Hail, Prince Abdulaziz Bin Saad, who was joined by the Minister of Transportation and president of the executive board of the Saudi Railway Company (SAR) Nabil Al Amoudi, as well as other officials.
Hail is the fourth station that the railway has opened this year for passengers of the Northern Railway. The next phases, which are scheduled for completion in 2018, will see the opening of two other stations; one in Jouf and the other in Qurayyat.
The train service is expected to contribute to the Kingdom’s overall growth and is expected to attract new investors to the region.
“We have designed the train station keeping in mind operational efficiency. It consists of three floors with a total area of 137,217sqm and has two separate lounges for arrivals and departures,” explained Dr. Bashar Al Malek, chief executive of Saudi Railway Company (SAR).
The train station boasts a food court, a services area with commercial stores, travel agency offices, car rental offices, a post office and two platforms with a total area of 20,000sqm. A mosque with a capacity for 300 worshippers is also part of the station’s layout.
Al Malek also said that the launch of the Hail operations is part of the second phase of his firm’s passenger service expansion. It follows the launch of services between Riyadh, Majmaah and Qassim in February.
