Saudi Arabia opens high-speed railway to public

KUWAIT CITY(IAMINKUWAIT): Saudi Arabia’s new high-speed railway opened to the public yesterday, whisking Muslim pilgrims and other travelers between Makkah and Madinah, Islam’s holiest cities. The Haramain High Speed Rail system will transport passengers 450 kilometers via the Red Sea port of Jeddah at speeds of up to 300 kilometers per hour. Two trains, each carrying 417 passengers, departed from Makkah and Madinah at 8 am, according to the state-run Saudi Press Agency.

Two daily services are initially planned in each direction, it said. Saudi King Salman on October 25 inaugurated the high-speed railway, which local officials described as the biggest transportation project in the region. The new link will slash the travel time Makkah and Madinah from several hours to 120 minutes, transport officials said. The rail project, dogged by several delays, was built at a cost of more than $16 billion, according to Saudi media.

Courtesy  :  Kuwait Times