The FCC-led FAST Consortium has finished the excavation works on line 5 (green) of the Riyadh Metro. The announcement took place during a ceremony held in the Saudi Arabian capital. The ceremony was attended by the Governor of Riyadh, H.R.H. Prince Faisal Bin Bandar Bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud; the Minister of Transport, H.E. Suleiman Al Hamdan; together with H.E. the Mayor of Riyadh and the President of the ADA,  Ibrahim bin Mohammed al Sultan; and other leaders from the different government ministries. It was also attended by the executive director and CEO of FCC, Carlos M. Jarque; international director of FCC Construcción, Pablo Colio; and director of the FAST consortium, Jaime Freyre de Andrade.

Line 5 (green line) is one of the three lines being built by FAST, one of the three international consortiums contracted to build the six lines comprising the Riyadh Metro project. In addition to FCC, the consortium is made up of Samsung C&T (South Korea), Alstom (France), Strukton (Netherlands), Freyssinet (Saudi Arabia), Atkins (UK), Typsa (Spain) and Setec (France). As well as the green line this consortium is in charge of building the yellow and purple lines, which entail 33 kilometres of viaducts, 22 underground tracks and 9 overground tracks.

The green line has underground lines running through the excavated tunnel along King Abdulaziz Road, one of the many arteries of the city of Riyadh. It stretches 13 kilometres in length and has 11 underground stations and 2 connections with the red and blue lines. 
 
The FCC team in Riyadh

The Riyadh Metro project has seven tunnel boring machines working on the city's underground, and it was the second one that completed the excavation works in the Saudi capital.

In addition to announcing the end of the tunnel's excavation works, a real scale model was presented of the Alstom-manufactured trains (Metropolis model) that will travel around the city of Riyadh. The ceremony also marked the start of construction works on the tracks, a major milestone for the project. The works will begin with a section of the yellow line's overground tracks, which will be the first to be installed.
The trains for the Riyadh Metro project have two carriages per unit, each one measuring 36 metres in length. Each train will be divided into first class, family and single. The trains have an entirely automated driving system installed, enabling them to ascend slopes with a 6% degree of steepness. These trains will offer passengers superior comfort, ergonomic seating, LED lights, air conditioning and state-of-the-art information systems for passengers.

You can watch a summary of the event via the following link: https://youtu.be/NZNsWYiiX3Q

About Riyadh Metro

The Riyadh Metro network will have 85 stations and 6 major lines over a total of 176 kilometres. The underground system will provide a service to the majority of neighbourhoods around Riyadh, government offices, schools, companies and the primary health centres. It will also serve as an essential connection between King Khalid International Airport, the King Abdullah Financial District, the city centre, most universities and other sections of the public transport system.

Stations

All stations will be equipped with air conditioning and cutting-edge safety and comfort facilities. The stations are also designed with internet access, a shopping space and parking zones. Riyadh Metro is committed to environmental technology by using solar power, which will save 20% in energy in the main electrical systems.
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