Jeddah: Saudi Arabia Railways announced the readiness of the Haramain High-Speed Railway for this year’s Hajj season, increasing the number of available seats by about 100,000. The total seating capacity is now 1.6 million, up from last year's 1.3 million.
The railway, spanning 453 kilometres, connects Makkah to Madinah with stops at Jeddah's Sulaymaniyah district, King Abdulaziz Airport and King Abdullah Economic City. This expansion includes over 430 new trips, raising the total scheduled trips to more than 3,800 from May 9 to June 25, with peak days featuring 126 trips.
The Haramain High-Speed Railway, one of the world's top 10 fastest electric trains, reaches speeds of 300 km per hour. It operates 35 trains, each with a capacity of 417 seats. The system is environment-friendly, with zero carbon emissions and helps preserve road infrastructure by reducing traffic.