Riyadh is now home to the world’s longest self-driving public transit system. The Riyadh Metro is 176 kilometers long, with six lines and 85 stops. It is also connected to 80 bus routes and 3 BRT lines.
The transit system was built to encourage the use of public transport in Riyadh and reduce 12.5 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions into the air. Each train is separated into first class, family and single passengers.
All of the electric trains used are manufactured by Alstom. These consist of 69 Alstom Metropolis trains and 47 Alstom Innovia which operate without drivers. The Alstom Innovia is the same model used by Rapid KL for its Kelana Jaya line.
In addition to being developed for the use of the people of Riyadh, this infrastructure is also being built to support Saudi Arabia’s bid to host the 2034 World Cup.