Al-Haramain Train Project To Be Launched For Pilgrims, Tourists, Citizens

ISLAMABAD, Aug 5 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 5th Aug, 2018 ) :The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has geared up arrangements to launch�the Al-Haramain Train project, this year, to accommodate the pilgrims, local population and tourists visiting the state.

According to the project management, Al-Haramain Train project is the largest public transportation project in the middle East. The project is one of the implementation schemes of the mass expansion of the Saudi railway across the country, adding before setting the project operational all required arrangements would be made on priority basis for Haj pilgrims.

The project was need of the hour as the increasing number of pilgrims, visitors, residents and worshipers coming to the country particularly Madinah and Makkah year after year had created serious challenge for the authorities to tackle the huge traffic, pollution and consequent administrative issues.

Interestingly, the train project would widely reduce the congestion on the roads between Makkah and Madinah, in addition to Jeddah governorate. It will also reduce road traffic accidents and pollution levels, resulting from emissions of vehicles. Besides, it will provide job opportunities for Saudi youths after they get the necessary training and qualifications on the operation and maintenance tasks.

According to details, the project consists of 450 km long electric tracks being established between Makkah, passing through Jeddah and reaching Madinah. The tracks would be equipped with signals and advanced communication means.

The project near completion was executed in two important phases while in the first phase state-of-the-art infrastructure has been developed including construction of the overpasses, bridges, underpasses, water channels and the stations; and in the second phase tracks, railways and the trains have been built.

The project consists of four main stations between Makkah, Jeddah, King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC) in Dabiagh and Madianah. An additional fifth station was also part of the project, to facilitate the pilgrims and foreigners to have swift and direct access to the holy cities, at King Abdul Aziz International Airport with the new airport expansion project to link the airport and the station with the whole project.

According to Minister of Transportation and Chairman of the Saudi Railway Organization, Nabil Al-Amoudi claimed that SR60 billion ($16 billion) high-speed Haramain train is on track to be fully operational this year, reported in Arabnews, adding the service will be functional for the public in 2018, in conformity with all safety measures and operational readiness for high-speed transportation.

The project involves constructing 140 overpasses and 860 water channels to discharge rainwater.

The trains, 35 electrical trains with a speed of 300 km per hour, were manufactured with world class specifications and standards by Talgo, a Spanish manufacturer of intercity, standard, and high speed passenger trains.

Experts in the field said Al-Haramain Train is a unique and one of its kind projects considering that it is the first high speed electrical train in the Middle East.

Seven trains will run within one hour from and to Jeddah, two trains will run between Makkah and Madinah, and 4 trains will run between Makkah and Rabigh and the one train will transport 19,600 passengers per hour.

As reported in the Arabnews, the project is in its final stages after 35 trains (with a capacity of 417 seats per train) were equipped with all amenities.

The train would managed with a world-class operating system and connect the province of Jeddah to Makkah via a 78-km double-track line.

The Makkah-Madinah high-speed railway will shorten the travel time between Jeddah and Makkah to about 21 minutes, and less than two-and-a-half hours between Makkah and Madinah.

The Makkah station is located at the main entrance to the city in the neighborhood of Al-Rusaifah.

The station is about 3 km away from the Grand Mosque in Makkah, while Al-Madinah station is located in the Knowledge Economic City (KEC) on King Abdul Aziz Road.

There are two train stations in Jeddah; the first is in Sulaymaniyah in the center of the city, and the second is at King Abdul Aziz International Airport.

The Rabigh station is located near King Abdullah University for Science and Technology (KAUST).