flexiblefullpage
billboard
interstitial1
catfish1
Currently Reading

Saudi Arabia capital city Riyadh is building a massive public transit system

Transit Facilities

Saudi Arabia capital city Riyadh is building a massive public transit system

More than 110 miles of track will connect 85 stations over six lines. The cars can reach speeds up to 90 mph, and Zaha Hadid Architects designed one of the train depots.


By Mike Chamernik, Associate Editor | May 20, 2016
Saudi Arabia capital city Riyadh is building a massive public transit system

King Abdullah Financial District Metro Station. Rendering couresy Zaha Hadid Architects. Click here to enlarge.

For several American cities, the infrastructure for their public transit systems have been in place for more than a century. It’s almost like Chicago, New York City, and Boston laid down train tracks the day after they were founded.

Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia and the home to 6 million people, is building its first light rail system from scratch.

Tech Insider reports that the city is building six metro lines that connect 85 stations over nearly 110 miles of track. Also, a new bus system will be implemented. 

For $10 billion, the Saudi government hired the U.S. construction and civil engineering firm Bechtel to lead the project. Bechtel assembled a group of contractor firms, and they are using 1,000-ton boring machines to hollow out train tunnels underneath the city for nearly 40 miles of track for 39 stations.

A few major architects have even designed train stations. Zaha Hadid Architects, for instance, designed the King Abdullah Financial District Metro Station, which will connect Lines 1, 4, and 6. The building will have a wavy lattice exterior and will contain four public levels and two underground levels of parking. 

The trains themselves will be nicer than any American rapid transit vehicle. The trains will be automatic, driverless, fully air conditioned, and Wi-Fi accessible. They can run up to 90 mph. Around 20% of the system’s power will come from solar energy.

The new transit system is expected to be ready by the end of 2018. Public transit will come just in time for the growing city, as estimates say that Riyadh’s population could reach 9 million by 2035.

 

Exterior of the King Abdullah Financial District Metro Station. Rendering courtesy Zaha Hadid Architects. Click to enlarge.

Related Stories

Giants 400 | Nov 6, 2017

Top 15 transit engineering firms

AECOM, STV, and Arup top BD+C’s ranking of the nation’s largest transit sector engineering and EA firms, as reported in the 2017 Giants 300 Report.

Giants 400 | Nov 6, 2017

Top 25 transit architecture firms

Jacobs, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, and Perkins+Will top BD+C’s ranking of the nation’s largest transit sector architecture and AE firms, as reported in the 2017 Giants 300 Report.

Mixed-Use | Sep 25, 2017

Getting there is half the fun: Mass transit helps entertainment districts thrive

In Los Angeles, the entertainment district L.A. Live is expected to benefit from the proposed expansion of the city’s mass transit system.

Transportation & Parking Facilities | Aug 6, 2017

Post Panama Canal expansion, the top three U.S. ports still rule

But land constraints around the terminals are pushing asset prices and rents to new highs.

Transit Facilities | Jun 21, 2017

Foster + Partners unveils design for the Ourense FFCC Station in Galicia, Spain

The project will create key infrastructure for the future development of the city and provide it a new social focus.

Transit Facilities | Mar 31, 2017

Mississauga Bus Rapid Transit stations share common theme but sport custom details

The route will connect with Toronto public transit.

Transit Facilities | Mar 30, 2017

Train station architectural design fundamentals: Accessibility

If safety is the number one priority for train stations, then accessibility comes in at a close second.

Transit Facilities | Feb 7, 2017

Wood and glass dominate Swedish city’s new ‘living room’

The building will be a train station and City Hall for the Swedish city of Växjö.

Transportation & Parking Facilities | Jan 31, 2017

Public transportation of the future: Four new sustainable technologies

In 2014, Americans spent an average of 42 hours per year sitting in traffic jams.

Transit Facilities | Nov 15, 2016

The winning design for the Paris metro station competition looks like a giant, loopy “P”

Bjarke Ingels Group and Silvio d’Ascia Architecture teamed up to create the winning submission.

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category

Adaptive Reuse

Detroit’s Michigan Central Station, centerpiece of innovation hub, opens

The recently opened Michigan Central Station in Detroit is the centerpiece of a 30-acre technology and cultural hub that will include development of urban transportation solutions. The six-year adaptive reuse project of the 640,000 sf historic station, created by the same architect as New York’s Grand Central Station, is the latest sign of a reinvigorating Detroit.



Transit Facilities

Top 25 Transit Facility Construction Firms for 2023

The Walsh Group, Clark Group, Hensel Phelps, Skanska USA, and Hill International top BD+C's ranking of the nation's largest transit facility general contractors and construction management (CM) firms for 2023, as reported in the 2023 Giants 400 Report. Note: This ranking includes construction revenue for work related to bus terminals, rail terminals, and transit stations.


Transit Facilities

Top 40 Transit Facility Engineering Firms for 2023

AECOM, Jacobs, EXP, WSP, and Arup head BD+C's ranking of the nation's largest transit facility engineering and engineering/architecture (EA) firms for 2023, as reported in the 2023 Giants 400 Report. Note: This ranking includes design revenue for work related to bus terminals, rail terminals, and transit stations.

halfpage1

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021