Saudi high-speed rail to start service in Q1 2018
RIYADH, October 7, 2017
Saudi authorities have successfully completed field work on the high-speed Haramain Express Train connecting the cities of Makkah and Madinah, said a report.
The 450-km-long electric railway project will be ready before the year-end and the new train service is likely to begin in the first quarter of 2018, reported Arab News, citing the Makkah Region Development Authority (MRDA).
The project is in its final stages with 35 trains, boasting a capacity of 417 seats per train, ready for operations as per global standards, said the report.
This serves as a qualitative addition to the transportation system in the kingdom. It aims to provide a fast, convenient, reliable and safe way of transport between Makkah and Madinah, as well as the cities of Jeddah and Rabigh, it stated.
On completion, the high speed railway will cut short the travel distance between Makkah and Jeddah to about 21 minutes and between the cities of Makkah and Madinah to less than two-and-a-half hours, it added.
