Haramain High Speed Railway

Haramain High Speed Railway is one of the high-speed transportation projects in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It connects the cities of Makkah al-Mukarramah and al-Madinah al-Munawwarah through the governorate of Jeddah and King Abdullah Economic City in Rabigh. It was developed to serve Hajj and Umrah pilgrims and facilitate their transportation between Makkah al-Mukarramah and al-Madinah al-Munawwarah. This electric train spans 450 km along electrified railway lines at a speed of three hundred km/h. It connects two regions, Makkah al-Mukarramah and al-Madinah al-Munawwarah, in the west of the Kingdom.

In 2019, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud officially inaugurated the Haramain High Speed Railway Project. He took the first train trip from the city of Jeddah's Sulaymaniyah Station to al-Madinah al-Munawwarah, announcing the official operation of the Haramain High Speed Railway trips.

The construction of the Haramain High Speed Railway began in 2009, funded by the Public Investment Fund (PIF) and in partnership with the private sector. Construction costs amounted to SAR60 billion. Its first commercial trip took place in 2018, while the train made its first official trip in 2019. The Haramain High Speed Railway consists of thirty-five trains, each with thirteen coaches and 417 seats. The train has a daily capacity of 160,000 passengers and an annual capacity of sixty million passengers.

The trip of the Haramain High Speed Railway between King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah and al-Madinah al-Munawwarah spans two hours, while the trip between Makkah al-Mukarramah and al-Madinah al-Munawwarah takes two hours and forty-five minutes. Hence, the train is the fastest means of railway transportation in the Middle East. The railway is covered by overhead lines that span a distance of 12,000 km and are connected to six power generators.

The Haramain High Speed Railway has five stations, including three terminals in Makkah al-Mukarramah, al-Madinah al-Munawwarah, and King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah. It also has two transit stations in King Abdullah Economic City and Jeddah. Each station features arrival and departure halls, a mosque, a civil defense unit, a helipad, railway and passenger platforms, short and long-term parking areas, VIP lounges, shops, cafes, and restaurants.

The designs of the Haramain High Speed Railway stations allow for future expansion. They incorporate metal tree-like structures and domed roofs with controllable openings to harness natural lighting. They are adorned with large chandeliers at their center. Each station is distinguished by a unique color scheme: Gold for Makkah al-Mukarramah station, green for al-Madinah al-Munawwarah station, and silver for the Jeddah city station. In contrast, the King Abdullah Economic City station adopts a metallic color.

Makkah al-Mukarramah station is located three km from the Grand Mosque, in al-Rusaifa Neighborhood. Al-Madinah al-Munawwarah station is situated seven km from The Prophet's Mosque, in Knowledge Economic City. Jeddah stations are located in Sulaymaniyah Neighborhood and King Abdulaziz International Airport. King Abdullah Economic City station is located at the entrance of the city, near King Abdullah University of Science and Technology.