Saudi Arabia Railways has ordered 33 EMD SD70ACS heavy-haul diesel locomotives from Progress Rail, in an agreement announced at InnoTrans 2026 on September 22. The order will take SAR's EMD fleet beyond 150 locomotives.

The operator says the additional units will support growing freight demand across its network. The SD70ACS is a dedicated desert locomotive, configured for operation in high-temperature, high-sand environments such as those on SAR's routes.

Alongside the locomotive order, Progress Rail and SAR signed a memorandum of understanding covering localisation of rail capabilities and lifecycle services in Saudi Arabia. The MOU establishes a framework for the two parties to explore localisation initiatives, workforce development and supply-chain opportunities in support of the Saudi rail sector and SAR's long-term fleet requirements, including those arising from upcoming projects.

SAR CEO Dr Bashar bin Khalid Al Malik framed the deal as directly tied to the mining sector. 'This agreement marks a strategic step in strengthening SAR's freight capabilities and expanding phosphate transport operations on the North Railway,' he said on September 22.

'The addition of 33 locomotives will enhance fleet capacity and operational readiness, enabling us to meet growing demand from the mining and industrial sectors with greater reliability and efficiency. It also supports knowledge transfer, national capability development and local content, advancing the objectives of the National Transport and Logistics Strategy and Saudi Vision 2030.'

The North Railway carries phosphate traffic from mines in the north of the kingdom to processing and export facilities, and its volumes have been a consistent driver of SAR's heavy-haul fleet investment. The 33-unit order points to continued tonnage growth on that corridor, with the CEO's reference to "operational readiness" indicating the locomotives are intended both to expand capacity and to provide fleet resilience.

The localisation MOU aligns with Saudi Vision 2030 targets for domestic industrial content. For Progress Rail, a Caterpillar company, the framework opens a path to supplying lifecycle services, components and potentially assembly activity within the kingdom rather than on an import-only basis. Neither party has yet specified which components or services would be localised, nor a timeline for implementation — these remain subjects for exploration under the MOU rather than committed deliverables.

The order is the latest in a sustained EMD procurement by SAR. Crossing the 150-locomotive threshold consolidates Progress Rail's position as the operator's principal heavy-haul diesel supplier. SAR has not stated a delivery schedule for the 33 locomotives, and the fleet total of "more than 150" is an operator-supplied figure that will become verifiable as units enter service.

Delivery dates and the first outcomes of the localisation framework are expected to emerge as SAR finalises requirements from its upcoming projects under the National Transport and Logistics Strategy.