Saudi Arabia Railways (SAR) has announced it is raising the operating capacity of the Haramain High-Speed Railway during the 1447 AH Hajj season to more than 2.21 million seats, as part of an expanded operating plan aimed at serving the Guests of God and meeting the growing demand for travel between Makkah and Madinah.
SAR explained that this year's Hajj season capacity is more than 210,000 seats higher than last season, with operations including 5,308 trips during the season, an increase of around 11%, enhancing the efficiency of movement and offering pilgrims wider options, according to a post on Saudi Arabia Railways' LinkedIn account.
The number of daily trips at peak times is set to exceed 142 a day, helping to achieve smoother movement for the Guests of God, reduce waiting times and raise the quality of the travel experience between the two holy cities.
The first pilgrim trips on the Haramain High-Speed Railway depart on Tuesday 5 May from the King Abdulaziz International Airport station to Makkah station, as part of the actual operation phase for transporting pilgrims during the 1447 AH Hajj season, with the train continuing to carry the Guests of God between Makkah and Madinah.
The Haramain High-Speed Railway fleet comprises 35 trains, each with a capacity of 417 seats, operating on a route of around 453 km at operating speeds of up to 300 km per hour, making it one of the ten fastest passenger trains in the world, covering the distance between Makkah and Madinah in around two hours.
The Haramain High-Speed Railway links 5 main stations: Makkah, Madinah, Jeddah's main Al-Sulaimaniyah station, King Abdullah Economic City station and King Abdulaziz International Airport station, easing pilgrims' movement and raising the efficiency of connections between cities and vital facilities within the Kingdom's modern transport system.
SAR stressed that the operating plan is an extension of its role within Saudi Arabia's modern transport system, providing safe and integrated transport solutions that help ease the movement of the Guests of God and support the targets of the National Transport and Logistics Strategy, Saudi Vision 2030 and the Pilgrim Experience Program.
To view the post on Saudi Arabia Railways' LinkedIn account, click here.
