JEDDAH: The Minister of Transport is scheduled to inspect work on the Haramain Train Sunday, as sources say that the first major overhead section for the train near Jeddah Airport is expected to open “within days”. Minister Jabara Al-Suraisiry, who is also chairman of Saudi Railways Organization (SRO), will make his official inspection of the line, which runs from Jeddah to Makkah and continues on to Madina, as the completion of the overhead section at the junction of the airport's Pilgrims' Terminals with the Madina Highway will allow the recently-surfaced road beneath to open to traffic. The structure has taken ten months to complete, and sources from technical staff say that work has advanced significantly on the first part of the first phase of the express Haramain Train. The final phase of the project is scheduled to be open for use prior to this year's Haj season. Work has also begun on the five stations for the train. The stations are located in Jeddah, Makkah, Madina, King Abdullah Economic City and Rabigh. Al-Suraisiry said earlier this week that “crucial decisions” will be made this year on the Haramain Train and Land Bridge railway projects. Al-Suraisiry told Asharq Al-Awsat Arabic daily after an SRO board meeting in Dammam that work was “proceeding on schedule at a good pace” and that the “necessary measures will be decided soon regarding the second stage of the Haramain Train. The measures involve the construction of the railway line, importing carriages and trains, maintenance and operations factors, and the Land Bridge. The Haramain Train will by completion cost an estimated SR42 billion, with two major contracts awarded for its construction, one for civil works and infrastructure at a cost of SR6.7 billion, and another worth SR9 billion for stations. The project entails the construction of over 450 kilometers of line to transport an estimated 20 million passengers a year composed of Haj and Umrah pilgrims, passengers and visitors. The Land Bridge project linking the east and west with a 1,165-km line, and which has remained on hold since 2008, will cost about SR38 billion. The SRO says that performance indicators show improvements in various railway sectors including freight cargo, maintenance work, completed projects and operational safety.
