Makkah-Madinah train to be shipped by year-end

The first Spanish-made train for the multibillion-riyal Haramain railway project would arrive in Jeddah by December, according to the president of the Saudi Railways Organization.
Speaking to local media from Spain, Mohammed Al-Suwaiket said that the Spanish manufacturing company has almost completed the Haramain train, which will operate between Makkah and Madinah.
The first train consists of a lead power head and 13 passenger carriages. It would arrive in Jeddah Islamic Port by the end of December, said Al-Suwaiket.
He said 3,000 workers are currently employed on the project, with Saudis accounting for 70 percent of the total.
The 450-km railway passes through Jeddah, King Abdulaziz International Airport and King Abdullah Economic City in Rabigh. It will carry more than 20 million passengers every year including pilgrims.
It will have five stations, with the main station in Makkah having separate lounges for arrivals and departures, a mosque that can hold 600 worshippers, a helipad, 10 platforms for trains, a lounge for VIP passengers and parking for 500 cars.