RIYADH: Rail passengers in Saudi Arabia made more than 40.9 million journeys in the third quarter of 2026, SPA reported on Tuesday. According to the Transport General Authority’s quarterly indicator, passengers on the Riyadh Metro alone made 30.4 million trips across the period. Meanwhile, the Automated People Mover at King Abdulaziz International Airport carried 7 million passengers in the third quarter, an increase from the 3.9 million it recorded in the second quarter. Trains running between cities carried a combined 2.5 million passengers during the same period. Of these, the Haramain High-Speed Railway, which links Makkah and Madinah via Jeddah, King Abdulaziz International Airport and King Abdullah Economic City, accounted for more than 1.9 million, up from the 1.6 million passengers it carried in the second quarter. Saudi Arabia Railways’ East Network, which runs from Riyadh through Abqaiq and Hofuf to Dammam, saw passengers make about 393,900 trips over the quarter. The company’s North Network, connecting Riyadh with Majmaah, Qassim, Hail, Al-Jouf and Qurayyat, carried people across 258,600 trips. The TGA said the number of train passengers rose compared with the same quarter last year, an increase that it said reflects growing demand for rail travel across the Kingdom. By comparison, people made more than 38 million journeys by train in total during the second quarter. On the freight side, the Kingdom’s trains moved 3.9 million tons of minerals and goods during the third quarter, up from the 3.7 million tons transported in the second quarter. According to SPA, trains are among the main pillars of passenger and freight transport in the Kingdom, helping ease the flow of traffic within and between cities and reduce congestion. They also contribute to a better quality of life, support environmental sustainability, boost economic development and link the Kingdom’s cities and governorates.