| Haramain High Speed Railway | |||
|---|---|---|---|
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| Overview | |||
| Native name | قطار الحرمين السريع | ||
| Status | Operational[1] | ||
| Termini | |||
| Stations | 5 | ||
| Website | sar | ||
| Service | |||
| Type | Intercity, high-speed railway | ||
| Operator(s) | Saudi Arabia Railways | ||
| Rolling stock | Talgo 350 SRO | ||
| Ridership | 6.97 million (2023)[2] | ||
| History | |||
| Opened | 11 October 2018 | ||
| Technical | |||
| Line length | 453.0 kilometres (281.5 mi) | ||
| Number of tracks | 2 | ||
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge | ||
| Electrification | 25 kV AC, 60 Hz overhead catenary[3][4] | ||
| Operating speed | 300 km/h (186 mph) | ||
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The Haramain High Speed Railway (Arabic: قطار الحرمين السريع, romanized: qiṭār al-ḥaramayn as-sarīʿ, Hejazi Arabic pronunciation: [ɡɪtˤaːr alħarameːn asːariːʕ], abbreviated HHR), is a passenger railway serving the Mecca and Medina provinces in western Saudi Arabia. The 449.2-kilometre-long (279.1 mi) main line directly connects the Islamic holy cities of Mecca and Medina (collectively known as the Haramain), via Jeddah and the King Abdullah Economic City. A 3.75-kilometre (2.33 mi) branch line provides connections to the King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah. It opened to the public on 11 October 2018.
The HHR has a service speed of 300 km/h (186 mph), making it the first high-speed railway in Saudi Arabia.[4] Construction began in March 2009 and the railway was officially inaugurated on 25 September 2018,[5] opening to the public on 11 October 2018.[6]
- ^ "Makkah to Medina in 90 minutes: Saudi king launches new Haramain rail service". ArabianBusiness.com.
- ^ Smith, Kevin (29 April 2024). "Haramain high-speed passengers exceed 1 million during Ramadan". International Railway Journal. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
- ^ Torga, Ferran (14 February 2017). "Haramain high-speed crawls towards the start of operations". International Railway Journal. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
- ^ a b Alvarez-Maldonado Paramés, Javier (12 March 2013). "Haramain High Speed Railway: Fase II. Alcance del Proyecto" (PDF) (in Spanish). Colegio de Ingenieros de Caminos, Canales y Puertos. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 December 2014.
- ^ Kalin, Stephen. "Saudi Arabia opens high-speed train linking Islam's holiest cities". U.S. Retrieved 25 September 2018.
- ^ "Pictures: Saudi Arabia opens high-speed railway to public". GulfNews. 12 October 2018. Retrieved 15 October 2018.