This document must be read in conjunction with the Guideline 01: The Main Document, which addresses all definitions and standards used in the set of documents and guidelines.

• Change is a fundamental characteristic of all railway activities and operations. Customer demands vary over time, especially with the continuous evolution of technology and operational practices, which necessitates the replacement of obsolete assets with newer assets and advanced products, contributing to the provision of new and improved services and performance levels. However, alongside change, there are evolving safety risks that must be identified and controlled. This requires that railway operating organizations and institutions be prepared to demonstrate their ongoing ability to manage all foreseeable and expected safety risks.

• The purpose of this document is to outline the general requirements necessary to ensure the proper management and monitoring of the change process for railways within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The Transport General Authority also requires the necessary procedures to manage the impacts of this on all operations, including the following:

  • - Evidence of the availability of professional management for all change activities.

  • - Evidence of effective measures taken to mitigate the impact of change activities on employees, customers, the surrounding area, and the general public.

  • - Additionally, protecting the surrounding environment during the implementation of the change process, including, to the extent practically possible, the use of appropriate materials, elements, and construction processes that meet all environmental requirements.

• This guide applies to all railway systems and other directed transport systems in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia that hold a railway operating license and a safety certificate.

• The implementing regulation for the railway transport system requires that railway service providers, such as franchise owners, licensees, contractors, and railway operators, must do the following:

  • 1. Ensure regulatory compliance with the safety certificate and operating license conditions (the license).

  • 2. Ensure that all changes made that may affect the safety of railway operations are subject to review and approval by the authority.

  • 3. In the case that the change is classified as a substantial and fundamental change, it is necessary to engage an independent qualified consultant to verify and examine the change process.

Every licensee operating railway services and activities must hold a meeting with the Authority at least once a year to discuss the operations and engineering plans for the railways and to identify the changes they intend to make in the foreseeable future. All substantial changes (see Section 5 for the definition) must be part of the project programs, along with a description of all known minor changes so that the Authority can approve their classification as "minor non-substantial changes."