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Work on Haramain Railway Project Expected to Start Soon

JEDDAH — Work on the Haramain Railway project is expected to start shortly as Saudi authorities will open this month the financial offers made by the four consortia that are bidding for the multibillion riyal contract.

“The financial offers for the Makkah-Madinah Railway Link (MMRL) project will be opened this month,” said Transport Minister Jabara Al Seraisry. He denied suggestions that new tenders would be invited for the project, and added that the financial offers are made by existing bidders. Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz ordered the implementation of the project last February and instructed officials to use Saudi local funds for the purpose. The SR20 billion project will bring about revolutionary changes in the transportation of pilgrims between the two holy cities.

The MMRL project, which is designed to operate trains with a speed of over 300 km per hour, would reduce travel time between Jeddah and Makkah to 30 minutes and between Jeddah and Madinah to two hours. The MMRL includes the construction of 450 km of high-speed electrified railway lines between Jeddah and Makkah and between Jeddah and Madinah. The railway will be equipped with advanced signalling and telecommunications systems.

The new railway will link the two holy cities with Jeddah and Rabigh as well as King Abdul Aziz International Airport and Jeddah Islamic Port. The Transport Ministry has already identified the railway’s route. Al Seraisry said that a new railway station will be established at Jeddah Islamic Port, and added that the MMRL would be linked with the railway linking the kingdom’s east with the west.

He expected a 40 per cent increase in trade and shipping activities at the Jeddah port. It will handle more than six million containers annually. He said that work is progressing well on a new container terminal at the port at a cost of SR1.6 billion. The new terminal would be ready by the end of this year.