King Salman inaugurates Haramain high-speed train line
300kph top speed halves travel time between Makkah and Madinah to 2 hours
Riyadh: King Salman Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud will officially inaugurate Haramain high-speed rail line connecting the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah in a ceremony on Tuesday, according to SPA.
The 450 km-long rail line will connect Makkah, Jeddah, King Abdul Aziz International Airport, King Abdullah Economic City in Rabigh and Madinah, the longest electric speed train network in the Middle East.
#صور | #خادم_الحرمين_الشريفين يدشن في جدة اليوم #قطار_الحرمين_السريع.https://t.co/uBm1dJJ6ty#واس pic.twitter.com/v1SFOXQRMl
— واس (@spagov) September 25, 2018
The trains, with a speed of 300 kph, will start operating from next month, according chairperson of the Public Transport Authority Rumih Bin Mohammad Al Rumaih
In pictures: Saudi Arabia opens high-speed train linking Islam’s holiest cities
Al Rumaih also confirmed that from the beginning of October until the end of December 2018, there would be regular trains on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, starting from the stations of Makkah, Madinah, Sulaymaniyah in Jeddah and King Abdullah Economic City.
جانب من فعاليات #اليوم_الوطني88 بمحطة #الخطوط_الحديدية في #الهفوف pic.twitter.com/eUjxn5HSta
— #الخطوط_الحديدية SRO (@Saudi_Railways) September 23, 2018
While Jeddah's King Abdul Aziz International Airport station will begin operating around mid-2019.
The high-speed train will reduce journey time between Makkah and Jeddah to 21 minutes, Jeddah to King Abdul Aziz Airport to 14 minutes, King Abdul Aziz Airport to Rabigh to 36 minutes and Rabigh to Madinah to 61 minutes.
The distance between Makkah and Madinah would be covered in less than two hours, which is less than half the time that it takes to cover the same distance by road.
The Haramain Express train website will allow passengers to book and buy tickets by October 2018, and an app will also be launched. The prices of tickets will vary depending on the class and the destination, and would start at SAR20 (Dh19.5).
For the opening of the rail line, an offer of 50 per cent off in ticket prices for two months starting from October will apply, according to Rumaih.
The train stations will include several facilities including business class lounges, a public transport centre, parking lots, civil defense stations, mosques, and commercial spaces catering to traveler’s needs.