Asltom Bags World’s Biggest Battery-Powered Tramway Contract in Saudi Arabia

French firm Alstom, a global leader in smart and sustainable mobility, has signed a contract worth over $546.55 million with The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) of Saudi Arabia for AlUla’s pioneering battery-powered tramway – the world’s longest catenary-free line.

The fully integrated Alstom tramway system will feature 20 state-of-the-art Citadis B battery-trams. The 22.4 km line will encapsulate richness, history, and green mobility like no other, linking 17 strategically located stations, offering unmatched access to AlUla’s five core historical districts, including UNESCO World Heritage sites such as AlUla Old Town (District 1), Dadan (District 2), Jabal Ikmah (District 3), Nabataean Horizon (District 4), and Hegra Historical City (District 5).

This ambitious project aims to deliver unique transit options for residents and tourists, with innovative, climate-adapted trams.

Mohamed Khalil, Managing Director of Alstom Saudi Arabia, said that this project was truly unique as it combined sustainability, passenger experience, and immersion into the surroundings, in a region full of history and wonders.

“It is much more than a tramway and we are extremely honoured to have been selected by the Royal Commission of AlUla. This project incorporates many key elements of Vision 2030 including Saudi Arabia’s focus on environmental stewardship. We very much look forward to unveiling it to the world,” Khalil added.

The French company plays a pivotal role in this project, from comprehensive system design to integration, installation and testing and commissioning of the catenary-free and battery-powered tramway.

Alstom will also deliver power supply, signalling, communication, and depot equipment and provide full maintenance for the trams for 10 years, using HealthHub, Alstom’s tool for predictive maintenance and fleet management to deliver the highest availability.

The services teams will also use an itinerant workshop for all types of overhauls to be more flexible and reduce capital expenditure, and provide robust training programmes for tram personnel, ensuring operational efficiency.

The project will draw on Alstom’s global in-house expertise in integrated railway systems. The trams will be manufactured across Alstom’s French production sites, including La Rochelle for both design and construction.

Third in GCC

This project builds upon Alstom’s pioneering expertise in the field of Tramways in the GCC. The company delivered the Dubai tramway, the first fully integrated tramway system in the Middle East and the world’s first 100% catenary-free line, which was opened in November 2014. Alstom also built the first tramway in Lusail Qatar, the largest tramway system project in the Gulf region and the first catenary-free tramway in the country, which transported passengers during the World Cup.

Alstom has been a reliable partner of Saudi Arabia’s history for over 70 years. The company has supported the Haramain high-speed rail line between Mecca and Medina and also supplies an integrated Metro System for Lines 3, 4, 5, and 6 and the operation and maintenance of these lines.

Alstom has also provided automated people mover (APM) system to Jeddah’s King Abdulaziz International Airport, which has been in passenger service since 2020, for which the O&M maintenance has been carried out by Alstom since 2022.