The first high-speed electric train between Makkah and Madinah will be running by September, Saudi Arabia's Transport Minister Nabil bin Mohammed Al-Amoudi was quoted as saying in a media report.
The high-speed Haramain electric train is designed to travel at speeds of more than 300 kilometers per hour and is considered the fastest in the Middle East, reported Emirates news agency Wam, citing Arab News.
The railway will be able to carry 60 million passengers a year by the time it is fully operational at the beginning of 2019, Al-Amoudi said.
The 450-kilometer mainline will travel through King Abdullah Economic City, with a short branch line to the new King Abdulaziz International Airport (KAIA) in Jeddah.
The trains will be equipped with latest signaling and communications system, according to a project brief provided by Saudi Railways Organisation (SRO) on its website.
They will provide the safest mode of high-speed rails with the latest techniques, in addition to the other equipment that combines the necessary, entertainment and fun.
Five-passenger stations will be built in each of Central Jeddah, King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah, Makkah, Madinah and King Abdullah Economic City in Rabigh (KEAC), according to the SRO brief.
TradeArabia News Service
29/05/2018
