By SIRAJ WAHAB | ARAB NEWS STAFF

DAMMAM: The Haramain High Speed Rail project, which will link Makkah, Jeddah, Rabigh and Madinah, is progressing well, the Saudi Railway Organization’s president told Arab News yesterday.

“We are exerting utmost efforts to complete the project on time, and so far it is on schedule,” said Abdul Aziz Al-Hokail.

He said real estate properties in the path of the railway line are currently being removed to facilitate the construction of railroads.

The SRO chief refused to put an estimate on the total value of real estate property expropriated for the Haramain High Speed Rail project. “We don’t do the estimates, other government bodies are involved in it,” said Al-Hokail. “So I can’t comment on it.”

However, informed sources familiar with the project told Arab News that the total value of the acquired land is close to SR3 billion.

Al-Hokail called upon contractors to complete engineering designs for the remaining part of the railway as quickly as possible. “We have also told contractors to appoint more workers, deploy more equipment and increase working hours to complete the project on time,” he said.

“We have handed over railway station sites to the contractors, except part of the Makkah station, which will be handed over next month.”

Al-Hokail said SRO was coordinating with all relevant parties in order to avoid delay. “We are also holding joint meetings and workshops to speed up work and remove obstacles facing the project.”

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Saudi Railway Organization President Abdul Aziz Al-Hokail, left, inspects work on the Haramain High Speed Rail project. (AN photo)