Saudi Arab’s high speed express train carries out first trial journey

RIYADH, Apr 19 (APP):Saudi Arab’s high-speed Express Train Haramain has carried
out its first trial journey from Jeddah to Makkah as it prepares to formally
launch operations in early next year.
The journey saw officials
including Prince Abdullah Bin Bandar Bin Abdulaziz, deputy emir of Makkah
region, Spanish state secretary for infrastructure, transport and housing Julio
Gomez and minister of transport Sulaiman Al-Hamdan make the journey alongside
media representatives, gulfbusiness.com reported.
The trial run started at
Al-Sulaimaniah station in Jeddah at 1:00pm on Tuesday and saw the train
transport more than 400 passengers towards King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC)
in Rabigh, according to reports.
The train then left for Madinah at 3:00pm after one-hour-15-minute stopover and reached its destination at 4:15pm. During this time the train reached its top speed of between 300 and
330kmph.
Mariano De La Vega, project
manager of train manufacturer Talgo, said the company was fully prepared for
the official opening.
“Everything is in working order.
The train will officially come into operation as soon as Saudi officials give
us the green light,” he was quoted as saying.
So far 10 Saudi drivers have been trained in
Spain to use the train system and the kingdom has received 11 of the 35 trains
it is expecting.
The line is 450km in length, with a full
journey between Makkah and Madinah expected to take roughly two-and-a-half
hours. Travel between Jeddah and Makkah will take around 20 minutes and between
Jeddah and Madinah roughly two hours.
The line is expected to be fully operational
in the first quarter of next year.
The project serves as a
qualitative addition to the transportation system in the Kingdom. It will
provide a fast, convenient, reliable and safe mode of transport between Makkah
and Madinah, as well as the cities of Jeddah and Rabigh.
The train will take passengers
from Makkah to Madinah through Jeddah and King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC).
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 will be managed with a
world-class operating system and will connect the province of Jeddah to Makkah
via a 78-km double-track line.
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).