JEDDAH: The head of the Holy Sites Train has said that 15 trains will be operational in the next Haj season and after it ends trains will transport Umrah pilgrims to the Grand Mosque throughout the year from new stops on the Taif Road. According to Director General of the Holy Sites Train Project Fahd Abu Tarboush, it will also provide transport for residents of the Al-Awali District and neighboring areas. “This will be a major step in reducing traffic congestion in the vicinity of the Grand Mosque,” Abu Tarboush said. “Transport will be by train from the stops to the Jamarat Station and from there to the Grand Mosque by bus, then back to the station, until the final phase of works is done to connect the Grand Mosque to the Haramain Station.” He said that the plans for the train entailed three lines: a south line, a central line, and a northern line. “We've begun work on the south line which serves pilgrims coming over land by car, pilgrims from GCC countries and domestic pilgrims,” Abu Tarboush said. “The line will be tested and if proved successful work will begin on the other lines.” He said that for the Haj this year, the train would have a passenger capacity of 72,000 per hour. “That will mean we can dispense with 10,000 buses which will bring a significant improvement to traffic flow,” he said. “15 12-carriage trains will each transport 3,000 pilgrims at a time in the Haj season.” The Chinese company running the trains has a three-year contract, he noted, after which all operations and maintenance work are scheduled to pass over to Saudi staff. “We will see the Holy Sites Train being operated by Saudi hands in 1433 (beginning end of Nov. 2011 approx),” Abu Tarboush said. “In the last Haj, the train was operating at 35 percent of its capacity. The next Haj season will see it transporting half a million Haj pilgrims from Arafat to Muzdalifa before midnight.”
