The first Haramain Express Train arrived at Jeddah station on a pilot trip as part of the operational tests of the Saudi high-speed railway system, a report said.

The train arrived from King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC), said the Arab News report.

The railway will be fully operational by the end of 2017, said Rumaih bin Mohammed Al-Rumaih, chairman of the Public Transport Authority (PTA) and acting head of the Saudi Railways Organization (SRO), in the report. The 450-km-long electric railway is designed to serve 60 million passengers annually via 35 trains.

“The Railway Corp seeks to play its role in realizing Vision 2030 by harnessing its energies to serve pilgrims and guests through the Haramain train project, linking Makkah and Madinah through Jeddah, King Abdul Aziz International Airport and KAEC in Rabigh,” he said.

The Haramain High Speed Rail Project is one the largest transportation projects in the Middle East.
It is estimated to cost about SR62 billion ($16.5 billion), and involved erecting 15,000 power pylons.