DAMMAM – Train services between the Central Region and the Eastern Province will remain suspended on Sunday owing to the prevailing weather conditions, announced the Saudi Railways Organization (SRO) in a press statement here on Saturday. For the safety of passengers, the SRO has decided to suspend services on Saturday starting with Train No. 6 from Riyadh to Dammam at 1.35 p.m. Train services will remain suspended on Sunday as well, the statement said. The SRO took the measures because of the strong winds and poor visibility in the Eastern and Central parts of the Kingdom extending up to Najran region and the highlands. It said the heavy dust and sand hinder the locomotives causing the wheels to derail. The service between the two regions will resume when weather conditions improve. Mu'jib Al-Dowsari, spokesman of SRO, said all SRO passengers who made reservations on its trains have been informed through text messages and they will be compensated according to the procedures being followed in such cases. On Friday, sand dunes covered the train tracks because of high winds, causing the derailment of a train. A spokesman of the SRO said that the train from Riyadh to Dammam went off tracks without any injuries to passengers. He said that maintenance teams of the SRO are continually monitoring the rail tracks, and relaying information to trains crews. He said that train drivers were advised to proceed with caution and reduce speed, which led to the delay of many trains on Friday. — SG
