SAR contracts with Alstom for 22 million euros to maintain the Northern Freight Train

The Saudi Railways (SAR) concluded a contract with the French company Alstom worth 22 million euros, for a period of 5 years, to raise the efficiency and performance of the Northern Freight Train, by maintaining vital systems on board the locomotive fleet, developing maintenance and training tools, and transferring knowledge to national competencies, which contributes to supporting the goals of “Vision 2030” aimed at building a more efficient, flexible and competitive logistics sector.

The contract includes maintenance services for vital systems on board the Northern Freight Train’s fleet of locomotives, by monitoring train performance, managing speed, and enabling communication with the signaling systems infrastructure, to support the transportation of goods across the network in a safe, efficient and reliable manner.

The Northern Freight Train, which operates along the “North-South” corridor, is one of the main railway links in Saudi Arabia. It transports about 13.5 million tons of goods annually via the Northern Line, and connects mining sites with processing facilities and export ports, which enhances its role in serving industrial and logistical activities in the Kingdom.

The agreement was signed in the presence of Engineer Saleh Al-Jasser, Saudi Minister of Transport and Logistics, Dr. Bashar Al-Malik, CEO of SAR, and Martin Sion, CEO of Alstom.

Under the agreement, Alstom will implement a proactive approach to maintenance work that combines real-time monitoring of systems performance and enhanced availability of spare parts, which contributes to increasing fleet readiness and reducing response times.

The scope of work also includes upgrading systems, developing maintenance documentation, providing digital tools, in addition to training programs and transferring knowledge to national competencies. These measures will support daily maintenance work, improve operational performance, and enhance the reliability of SAR’s freight transportation services.

Mohamed Khalil, General Manager of Alstom in the Middle East, said that the agreement with SAR is based on cooperation aimed at enhancing the performance of the railway sector and supporting its development in the long term, indicating that the company will work through the agreement to enhance the reliability of goods transport operations and develop local competencies.

He added that cooperation is not limited to supporting operational operations, but rather includes developing local capabilities through training programs and knowledge transfer, which supports Saudi engineers, technicians and operators, and contributes to the transfer of technical expertise and its development locally.

Alstom's work in the railway sector includes the maintenance of more than 36,000 vehicles around the world, including more than 2,450 locomotives, while the company works in the field of maintenance services for trains, locomotives and railway systems.