Alstom will add driverless Riyadh Metro trains on Lines 3, 4 and 6 under a contract worth about €460 million signed with the Royal Commission for Riyadh City.

Woman holds a sign marking Riyadh Metro’s 200 millionth passenger inside a station
A woman holds a Riyadh Metro sign marking the network’s 200 millionth passenger inside a station. Photo: Royal Commission for Riyadh City (RCRC).

The new trains will join the 116 driverless trains Alstom has already delivered to the network, where passenger service began in late 2024. Alstom will fit the new vehicles into the existing infrastructure and maintain them under its current operation and maintenance contract for the three lines.

Contract value and what Alstom has disclosed

Alstom valued the order at approximately €460 million, or around $585.5 million. It plans to book the order in the second quarter of its 2026/27 financial year. The announcement did not say how many trains are included or when deliveries are due.

Alstom trains on Riyadh Metro Lines 3 to 6 and the lines in the €460 million order (September 2026)
Line Alstom trains already delivered In the €460 million order
Orange Line (Line 3) 47 Innovia trains Yes
Yellow Line (Line 4) Share of 69 Metropolis trains used on Lines 4, 5 and 6 Yes
Green Line (Line 5) Share of 69 Metropolis trains used on Lines 4, 5 and 6 No
Purple Line (Line 6) Share of 69 Metropolis trains used on Lines 4, 5 and 6 Yes

The new order covers three of the four lines where Alstom trains already run, leaving out Line 5. Alstom has not published a split of the 69 Metropolis trains by line or the number of new trains each line will get. Sources: Alstom, November 2024; Alstom, September 2026.

More frequent services across the network

Alstom said the extra vehicles will raise capacity and allow more frequent services as passenger demand grows. It expects shorter waiting times and more operational flexibility across the network.

According to Alstom, the trains will pair its Metropolis driverless design with Urbalis CBTC signalling, so services can run more often at peak hours. The fully automated network includes the Yellow Line (Line 4), which Alstom said will serve the 2030 World Expo in Riyadh.

Riyadh Metro ridership since December 2024

The Royal Commission for Riyadh City reported nearly 18 million passengers between the metro’s 1 December 2024 opening and mid-February 2025. By 14 March 2026, the commission said, the cumulative total had reached 200 million passengers. The Blue Line carried about 45% of ridership and the Orange Line (Line 3) about 14%.