France's Alstom conducts initial dynamic tests for Riyadh Metro

French industrial group Alstom has started conducting initial dynamic tests for the Riyadh Metro Project at the FAST consortium Line 4 Depot Test Track in Riyadh, it said in a statement on Sunday.

The Riyadh Metro Project, owned by Arriyadh Development Authority (ADA), consists of six lines totaling 176 kilometres and 85 metro stations.

As part of FAST consortium, Alstom is supplying a fully integrated metro system for lines 4, 5 and 6, which includes 69 Metropolis-based Riyadh Metro trains, Urbalis signaling system, Hesop energy recovery station and tracks.

The driverless trains are equipped with an advanced passenger information system delivering real time information to the passengers through screens and loudspeakers on board the train and on the station platforms.

The test run is a "significant milestone for Alstom and for the project", Didier Pfleger, senior vice president for Middle East and Africa, Alstom, said in the statement.

The FAST consortium, comprising Germany’s Siemens, Canada’s Bombardier and France’s Alstom, was awarded contracts worth SAR 84.4 billion ($22.5 billion) in 2013 to build a 300-train metro system in Riyadh.

In April, Arriyadh Development Authority said that Riyadh Metro has started its trial run across some routes.