Saudi Arabia Railways (SAR) is showcasing its cutting-edge technologies and infrastructure, including operation of one of the world's longest freight trains and Haramain High Speed, at the ongoing International Trade Fair for Transport Technology (InnoTrans) in Berlin, reported SPA.

 

A leading global event for transport technology sector, InnoTrans kicked off yesterday (September 24) and will run until September 27.

 

SAR Director of Corporate Marketing and Communications Mohammed Hamidaddin said the fair is an occasion to showcase the significant progress achieved by the railway transportation sector in the kingdom, and to put the spotlight on SAR's cutting-edge technologies and infrastructure, including operating one of the world's longest freight trains and the Haramain High Speed Railway, which is ranked among the top 10 fastest electric trains in the world.

 

InnoTrans, he stated, will provide SAR with an opportunity to forge more partnerships with leading companies and adopt the latest technologies in the field, which will facilitate the transfer of knowledge and expertise, and the localisation of the industry in the kingdom, in line with the directives of the wise leadership.

 

At the 2022 fair, SAR had signed a MoU with global transport expert Alstom to enable the transfer of technology, knowledge, and new green energy technologies and practices, said the SPA report. 

 

This collaboration had led to hydrogen train trials in the kingdom in the last quarter of 2023, the first such experiment in the Middle East and North Africa, said Hamidaddin.

 

Events such as InnoTrans offers SAR an opportunity to establish partnerships by highlighting its current and future projects, he added. 

 

According to him, SAR is working on strategic expansion plans to increase its network length from 5,500 km to over 8,000 km, thus facilitating connectivity among the kingdom's regions and cities. 

 

This endeavour is in line with the objectives of the National Transport Strategy and the Saudi Vision 2030 goal of establishing the Kingdom as a global logistics centre, he added.