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Projects
Bechtel welcomed the official inauguration of the Riyadh Metro network in November 2024. As Saudi Arabia’s first underground railway project, the Riyadh Metro initially plans to serve 1.2 million passengers daily, with a planned maximum capacity of 3.6 million passengers daily. Riyadh’s population of nearly 6 million is forecast to increase to 8 million by 2030. The new metro system will meet the demands of the growing population while reducing traffic congestion and improving air quality.
As the world’s newest and largest driverless train network, the Riyadh Metro provides a faster and more sustainable way for people to travel around the capital city of Saudi Arabia. At peak service, a train will arrive every two-and-a-half minutes, with the ability to travel from the north end of the city to the far south end in just under an hour.
At the request of our customer, The Royal Commission for Riyadh City (RCRC), the challenge wasn’t just to build one, but to create a visually striking and modern design that embodied the forward-thinking Vision 2030.
Since breaking ground in 2014, the Riyadh Metro has been the world’s largest under-construction rail project — not to mention one of the largest in Bechtel’s history.
The BACS consortium, which includes Almabani General Contractors, Consolidated Contractors Company, and Siemens designed and built Lines 1 and 2, which together include 40 stations, three depots, and four park-and-rides.
Engineers in Bechtel design centers worldwide were part of a broader design team that produced over 98,000 design drawings and 100 mock-ups. The system’s doors alone required more than 10,000 unique designs, complete with customized signage and specifications.
Our scope also included the design, construction, train cars, and signaling ― as well as electrification and integration of the new lines to the rest of the system.
The Blue Line (Line 1) will run north to south through Downtown Riyadh through several notable stations — including the iconic King Abdullah Financial District Station with its undulating roof, and Olaya Station, located more than 100 feet below ground. The BACS consortium also built the Red Line (Line 2) which runs east to west.
This metro reflects the dedication of our people, including our professional staff in offices across the globe and the 28,000 craft professionals from over 50 countries who made this vision a reality.
The metro includes features to improve the passenger experience — everything from Wi-Fi-enabled stations and real-time updates to powerful air conditioning, step-free access for people with limited mobility, and trains with high-comfort seating.
Using techniques such as a regenerative braking system that converts the trains’ kinetic energy into electricity that is returned to the supply network – the metro is as innovative as it is sustainable. There are solar panels on all three depots and three park-and-rides that generate enough clean electricity each day to power 15,000 homes.
Architectural Surfaces — Enough to cover the entire footprint of London’s Gatwick airport
Earthworks — 7.5 times the volume of the Great Pyramid of Giza
Concrete — Enough to fill 704 Olympic swimming pools
Electrical — 1.1 times the diameter of the earth
Formwork — 1.1 times the surface area of Central Park
Reinforcement — 40 times the weight of the Eiffel Tower
Roadworks — Enough to pave the area of Monaco
Structural Steel — 2 times heavier than the Statue of Liberty
Track — 1.2 times the length of Hadrian’s Wall
Pavers — Enough to cover Disneyland, California
Construction of tunneling and viaduct begins
First ground is broken in the excavation of the deep underground stations
Tunneling complete
Over 5,000 massive precast segments completed for viaducts
All deep underground stations are excavated, including the National Museum Station, which is 35 meters deep
Dynamic testing with trains begins
Approx. 9,000 staff and craft professionals remobilized following COVID
Successful completion of the first full system tests for operating the metro
Bechtel welcomes the official inauguration of Lines 1 & 2 of the Riyadh Metro network
Sydney, Australia
2025
Transport for NSW selected Bechtel as its Delivery Management Partner (DMP) for the Tunnel and Station Excavation (TSE) Works Package, part of the Sydney Metro City & Southwest (CSW) project.
London, U.K.
2023
Bechtel delivered a 100-kilometer railway, London’s first full underground line in 30 years, making the city more accessible to 1.5 million passengers.
Saudi Arabia
2024
Our team of world-leading engineers and project managers were chosen by the Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu in the mid-1970s to help plan and deliver the project, which is in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. Jubail is one...
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