Okaz/Saudi Gazette

JEDDAH — Saudi Arabia Railways (SAR) will operate a total of 3800 trips of Haramain High Speed Train to transport pilgrims during the current Hajj season. It has increased the number of seats to 1.6 million to accommodate a record number of pilgrims during this year.

SAR announced the readiness of the Haramain Train to receive the guests of God through revealing its operational plan for the Hajj season. The Haramain Train is operating services through its five stations on its 453-kilometre railroad linking Makkah and Madinah via the main Jeddah station in Sulaymaniyah district, King Abdulaziz International Airport station in Jeddah, and King Abdullah Economic City Station.

The operational plan included an increase of 100,000 in the number of seats available for pilgrims compared to last year, bringing the number of seats to 1.6 million. This increase comes in light of the addition of more than 430 new trips to last year’s trips, reaching 3,800 trips, during the scheduled period from Dhul Qada 1, corresponding to May 9, until Dhul Hijjah 19, corresponding to June 25, bringing the number of trips on peak days to 126.

It is noteworthy that the Haramain High Speed Train is one of the 10 fastest passenger trains in the world with a speed of 300 kilometers per hour. It operates with a fleet of 35 trains, with a capacity of 417 seats per train. The train is environmentally friendly with zero carbon emissions, in addition to its main role in preserving the road infrastructure by removing thousands of buses.