In preparation for 1st phase, Riyadh Metro icons appear on Google Maps

Riyadh Metro icons appeared among the public transportation icons in the capital on Google Maps in preparation for its launch in the coming days, as sources expected that the opening will be via three tracks in the first phase, with the rest of the tracks to be launched before the end of the year.

The Riyadh Metro map on Google Maps shows the colors of the tracks that the passenger will take to reach his final destination, whether via one or two tracks, in addition to the time that the passenger is likely to take on foot from the station to his destination.

It is expected that the prices of tickets and discounted packages for the metro will be officially announced before the launch date, while the streets of Riyadh will be on a date to reduce traffic congestion with the launch of the metro, especially since it is expected to contribute to reducing congestion by a percentage ranging between 20% – 30% after its operation is complete.

The trains passed the trial operation phase that lasted for a long time, to ensure their readiness for official operation, in addition to the completion of the stations located on the targeted routes within the scope of operation in the first phase (Al-Urouba to Al-Batha, King Khalid Airport Road, and the intersection of Abdulrahman bin Auf and Sheikh Hassan bin Hussein).

The Riyadh Metro includes 6 routes: the first route (the blue line) is the Al-Ulaya – Al-Batha – Al-Hair axis with a length of 38 km. While the second route (the red line) is King Abdullah Road with a length of 25.3 km, while the third route (the orange line) is the Madinah Road – Prince Saad bin Abdulrahman Al-Awal Road axis with a length of 40.7 km.

The fourth route (the yellow line) is the King Khalid International Airport Road axis with a length of 29.6 km, and the fifth route (the green line) is the King Abdulaziz Road axis with a length of 12.9 km. While the sixth route (the purple line) is the Abdulrahman bin Auf Road axis – Sheikh Hassan bin Hussein bin Ali Road with a length of 30 km.

The Riyadh Metro project contracts were awarded in 2013 to three international consortiums with a total value of approximately 84.4 billion riyals. It enhances environmentally friendly transportation options, as the metro uses energy-saving trains and stations, in addition to technologies such as regenerative braking to reduce energy consumption and equipping some stations with thousands of solar panels.