By P.K. ABDUL GHAFOUR | ARAB NEWS

JEDDAH: The Haramain Railway, which will link the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah with Jeddah, will cost about SR42 billion, according to a report circulated by the Saudi Railway Organization (SRO).

The high-speed rail project will bring about dramatic improvement in transportation of pilgrims between the two holy cities, the SRO said, adding that it has been built to accommodate 20 million passengers annually.

The 450-km Makkah-Madinah Rail Link is part of the major railway expansion project planned by the Kingdom, which includes linking Jeddah with the Riyadh-Dammam Railway and North-South Railway systems.

Once this Haramain project is completed it will provide a secure and speedy transport means for pilgrims, the SRO said. “It will also contribute to the Kingdom’s economic and social development,” it added.

According to one source, work on the Haramain Railway is progressing well as the government has completed acquisition of land for constructing rail tracks and stations.

“A number of bridges are under construction for the passage of the rail track,” he added.

The railway’s Jeddah station is likely to be located in Jamia Quwaiza as the Transport Ministry has acquired necessary land for the purpose.

It will have stations at King Abdulaziz International Airport and King Abdullah Economic City in Rabigh.

The railway would transport at least three million Haj and Umrah pilgrims annually, a feasibility study said. The Haj Ministry has forecast the number of pilgrims would cross 20 million within the next 25 years. The ministry has estimated the annual increase in Haj pilgrims at 1.41 percent and Umrah pilgrims 3.14 percent. read more