Haramain High Speed Railway
High-speed rail line in Saudi Arabia / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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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.
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 | 50 million per year (expected)[2] | ||
History | |||
Opened | 11 October 2018; 5 years ago (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, 50 Hz Overhead catenary | ||
Operating speed |
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The HHR is designed for a top speed of 350 km/h (220 mph) and with a service speed of 300 km/h (190 mph), making it the first high-speed railway in Saudi Arabia.[3][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] Initial estimates had predicted the railway serving at least 60 million passengers annually.[7]