Business & Money | Friday 24 July, 2015 4:28 am |

A total of 220 passengers were stranded in the scorching afternoon heat for over three hours on Wednesday following a malfunction in the engine and air-conditioning system of the Riyadh-Dammam train.
The unexpected snag hit the train after it traveled 310 kilometers, prompting the authorities to rush technicians and later an emergency train to transport the passengers to their destination, local media reported, quoting a spokesman of the Saudi Railways Organization (SRO). 
A technical team immediately inspected the train and informed the SRO at 12:52 p.m. about the malfunction, following which the Red Crescent and the Office of Transpiration in Riyadh were informed. An emergency train arrived at the spot at 2:47 p.m., while teams from the SRO and Red Crescent examined all passengers. 
The spokesman said the passengers were seated in the emergency train, which departed at 4 p.m., a delay of three hours and 17 minutes. 
The head of SRO was following up from the control room in Dammam to ensure all passengers were in good condition and that they continued their journey safely, he said. 
The SRO is working with the operating company of the trains to ascertain the cause of the malfunction and that the report of the investigation will be announced, he said, apologizing to the passengers on behalf of the organization.