Talgo has secured a major new contract in Saudi Arabia for the design, manufacture, and maintenance of 20 high-speed trains for the railway line connecting Mecca, Medina, and Jeddah. The contract is worth EUR 1.332 billion, bringing the Spanish manufacturer’s total order book to around EUR 6 billion, a record level in the company’s history.
The contract was awarded through the Saudi Spanish Train Project Company (SSTPC) by the Saudi ministries of Transport and Finance, as part of Phase II of the Haramain high-speed line project.
Expansion of the existing Talgo fleet
The new multiple units will join the 35 high-speed trains previously supplied by Talgo in 2018 to the Saudi Arabia Railways (SAR) operator, which currently operate on the Haramain line and are already maintained by the Spanish manufacturer.
With this new contract, Talgo will maintain a total fleet of 55 trains until 2033, with the option to extend the contract until 2038.
Technical characteristics and capacity
The 20 trains will have similar specifications to those already in operation:
- 2 traction heads (locomotives)
- 13 carriages
- 417 seats, distributed in two classes
- dedicated spaces for catering and passengers with reduced mobility
Talgo trains are designed for commercial speeds of up to 300 km/h and are adapted to operate in extreme climatic conditions, including high temperatures and sand, specific to the desert environment.
Increased demand, especially during the Hajj season
The expansion of the fleet comes in the context of a steady increase in demand for rail transport on the Haramain line, especially during the annual Hajj pilgrimage season, when the number of daily services increases from approximately 100 to 140 trains per day.
In 2025 alone, approximately 2 million passengers were recorded on this line during the Hajj period.
Local infrastructure and maintenance
The Haramain line is 450 km long and is built to standards comparable to those of the Spanish high-speed network, being equipped with ERTMS level 2.
Under the maintenance contract, Talgo operates two maintenance centers in Saudi Arabia, where more than 270 people are employed.
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