Currently, there is a passenger and cargo rail line from Riyadh to Dammam on the Gulf coast, but there is no railway linking the 950 kilometres between Riyadh and Jeddah on the Red Sea coast. The rail network is seen as a key element of Saudi Arabia’s strategy to establish itself as a global logistics hub, given its strategic location at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe.

The government has allocated billions of dollars for infrastructure projects, including ports, railways, aviation, and special economic zones, as highlighted by transport and logistics minister Saleh Al Jasser.
Initially, the Landbridge project will focus on freight transport, with plans to include passenger services after 2030.

Given that most of the country’s 32 million residents currently rely on air travel for long distances, a passenger train to Jeddah is not seen as a priority. Saudi Arabia Railways has already expanded its cargo routes toward the Jordanian border, Kuwait, and Qatar, and is awaiting the completion of connecting rail lines by those governments.

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Our Correspondent
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, has officially inaugurated the Route 2020 Project, Wam reported.
The project involves the 15 km extension of the Dubai Metro Red Line from Jebel Ali Station to Expo 2020 Station. The AED 11-billion Route 2020 project, which links seven stations, will be open to the public in September this year.
Developed by Emirati talent with the support of international expertise, these projects meet the highest global standards, Sheikh Mohammed said on the occasion. Upon arrival at Jebel Ali Metro Station, Sheikh Mohammed and his entourage watched a video about the Route 2020 Project built as part of the leadership’s vision to promote the sustainable development of the emirate. The project was focused on building globally benchmarked infrastructure and services that meet the UAE’s aspirations themed ‘Towards the Next 50 Years’.
The project is part of Road Transport Authority’s (RTA) master plan to provide integrated multi-modal mass transit systems comprising of the metro, tram, buses and marine transport. The video shed light on the communities served by Route 2020 – The Gardens, Discovery Gardens, Al Furjan, Jumeirah Golf Estates, Dubai Investment Park and the Expo 2020 site, which have a combined population of about 270,000.
The track has 11.8 km elevated track and 3.2 km underground track and links seven stations (one Interchange station with the Red Line, one iconic station at EXPO 2020 site, three elevated stations and two underground stations).
At Jebel Ali Station, an interchange station that spans 8,800 sq. m in area with total capacity of 320,000 riders a day, Sheikh Mohammed boarded the new metro train, which features some modifications to the interior design of the metro carriages. The train stopped at Expo 2020 Station, which boasts a unique design featuring the wings of an aircraft, signifying Dubai’s future drive towards greater innovation.
The design of the new stations enables integration with the public transportation system. Every station has bus and taxi bays as well as stops for pick-up and drop-off.
There will be a key train service to link Terminal 1 Station and Terminal 3 Station of the Dubai International Airport with Expo 2020 Station. There will be a bus service for passengers departing from Expo Station to the Terminal at Al Maktoum International Airport to ease the movement of riders between the two airports. In the near future, Route 2020 will be extended 3.4 km from Expo 2020 Station to Al Maktoum International Airport to ensure a modern metro link between the two airports.
With the opening of Route 2020, the total length of the Dubai Metro Red and Green Lines will increase to 90 km. At the same time, the total length of rail networks in Dubai will rise to 101 km (90km for the metro and 11km for the tram).

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It might seem incongruous to hear that trains in India are punctual. But,Indian Railways claimed it has achieved 100 per cent punctuality rate — for the “first time in its history” — on July 1. That means none of its passenger trains faced delays and their departures and arrivals were on time. It is, however, important to note that only a fraction of the total trains are currently running, which means less congestion on tracks. Its previous best, according to the Railways, was 99.54 per cent on June 23, when a train got delayed.

Union Minister of Railways Piyush Goyal on Thursday tweeted: “Trains in the Fast Lane: Enhancing services to unprecedented levels, Indian Railways made history on 1st July, 2020 by achieving 100% punctuality rate.”

Trains in the Fast Lane: Enhancing services to unprecedented levels, Indian Railways made history on 1st July, 2020 by achieving 100% punctuality rate. pic.twitter.com/zqNXFNx4Z6

— Piyush Goyal (@PiyushGoyal) July 2, 2020

All special trains — 12 pairs running on the Rajdhani routes since May 12 and 100 pairs operating since June 1 — are continuing even as the Railways has cancelled all regular trains till August 12.

Last month, the railways had sent a memo to its zones to ensure 100 per cent punctuality in the running of 230 special trains, which is less than two per cent of the 13,000 trains that normally run on the railway network.

Railway Board Chairman V K Yadav had asked all general managers and divisional railway managers to ensure that the 15 pairs of Rajdhani special trains and 100 pairs of passenger trains maintain their schedule without any delays. He had also said that since the number of trains being run on the network is currently small, the punctuality has to be 100 per cent

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