Dammam-Al-Ahsa train service opens

Dammam 3 March, 2014:The Saudi Railways Organization (SRO) began operating trains between Al-Ahsa (also known as Hofuf) and Dammam on Sunday. There will be two trips a day from Sunday to Thursday to serve students and employees. Muhammad Abu Zaid, director of Public Relations and Media at SRO, said that this move came under a strategic plan of the organization that aims to make trains a safe and quick medium of transportation between the two cities and expand its customer base by introducing new routes that will provide multiple options for train travel. Abu Zaid said that the organization seeks to develop the level of services provided to passengers, enhance safety and improve entertainment levels on board trains. “The SRO is working on increasing the number of trips between Dammam and Riyadh and cutting the trip duration to three hours. In addition, a new ticketing system will be used that will provide cards for frequent travelers such as students and employees, Abu Zaid said. Such a step, he said, would contribute to attracting new customer segments. “The SRO transports more than a 1.1 million passengers a year on its trains,” said Abu Zaid.