Riyadh Metro: Alstom wins €460m order for more driverless trains

Riyadh is buying more driverless metro trains. The Royal Commission for Riyadh City (RCRC) has awarded Alstom a contract worth about €460m (around US$585m) for additional Metropolis trainsets on Riyadh Metro Lines 3, 4 and 6. The order comes less than two years after the 176 km network opened, as ridership keeps climbing past 200 million journeys.

What the contract covers

The new trains will run on Line 3 (Orange), Line 4 (Yellow) and Line 6 (Purple). They add to the 116 driverless trainsets Alstom has already supplied for these three lines, and will use the same Urbalis CBTC signalling so they can be integrated into the existing system. Alstom will also maintain the extra trains under its current operation and maintenance contract for this part of the network, reports Railway Gazette International.

Alstom announced the signing on 28 September and will book the order in the second quarter of its 2026/27 financial year. The number of trainsets has not been disclosed. "The additional vehicles will help the network respond to growing demand," said Mohamed Khalil, managing director of Alstom's MENA regional headquarters in Riyadh.

Why Riyadh needs more trains

The Riyadh Metro opened in stages from December 2024 and now runs six automated lines over 176 km. Demand has grown faster than many expected. RCRC reported 200 million passenger journeys in March 2026, only months after passing 100 million, according to Railway-News. The Blue Line carries about 45% of all journeys, the Red Line 16% and the Orange Line about 14%, with service availability above 99.8%.

A bigger fleet lets the operator run trains more often at peak times and gives more flexibility for maintenance and special events. Line 4 serves King Khalid International Airport, and the Riyadh network will be a key part of the transport plan for Expo 2030.

A network that keeps growing

The train order is one of several steps to expand Riyadh's metro. RCRC has already awarded a US$900m contract to extend Line 2, and four consortiums are competing to build Riyadh Metro Line 7. For the full picture of rail investment in the Kingdom, from the Haramain high-speed line to the Saudi Landbridge, see our Saudi Arabia railway projects guide.

An engineer's view

Adding trains to a running driverless line is not just a purchase. Each new trainset must be integrated into the CBTC system, tested with the existing trackside equipment and certified without disrupting daily service. Ordering the same Metropolis design with the same Urbalis signalling keeps that risk low: the trains share software, spare parts and maintenance processes with the current fleet. The next question for Riyadh will be depot and stabling capacity, since more trains need more space to park and maintain them.

Key points

• Contract value: about €460m for extra Metropolis trains on Lines 3, 4 and 6
• Existing Alstom fleet on these lines: 116 driverless trainsets
• Network: 6 lines, 176 km, more than 200 million journeys since opening
• Maintenance by Alstom under the existing O&M contract

More from the region: UAE railway projects guide · Middle East rail news.

Sources: Railway Gazette International, 8 October 2026; Alstom, 28 September 2026; Railway-News, 16 March 2026.

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