Hajj Metro Train Mashaer Railway to Holy Sites

The Mashaer Railway at the holy sites (Haj Metro) is a quantum leap in the history of transporting Haj pilgrims and one of the largest projects achieved by the government over the past years.

The metro has reduced the travel time from hours to minutes and plays an important role in the movement of Haj pilgrims between the holy sites in general and from their camps to Al-Jamarat bridge in particular.

Haj pilgrims used to suffer because of the nature of the place and their huge number. Thousands of vehicles were required previously, some drivers violated traffic laws, not to mention breakdowns of vehicles which worsened congestion, forcing pilgrims to stay inside their vehicles for as long as six to seven hours. The Haj Metro has solved all these problems.

The 18.2-km railway project was launched during the Haj season in 2010, with each site having thee stations equipped with escalators and seven paths to offer services to pilgrims, in addition to a number of gates for groupings. These gates have sensors to recognize ticket holders. The stations have a waiting area that is equipped with safety means and air conditioning and can take more than 3,000 pilgrims.

Hao Koi Lin, the director general of the Chinese company that completed the metro, said the project integrated various specifications in the world, including the US specification in skeletal engineering, the local Saudi specification in road and residential buildings and the European specification in the operating system.

The Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs received the Fidic award for implementing the train project; the project was chosen from the best 24 projects in the world during the past 100 years for its distinction and contribution to improving life’s circumstances. The southern line of the Holy Sites Train project also won the Franz Edelman Award for the best applied and operational research.Hajj Metro Train Services to Holy Sites Arafat,Jamarat , Mina, Muzdalifa stations etc..

The Haj Metro connects nine major stations — three in Arafat, three in Mina and three in Muzdalifa, with the final station at the fourth floor of the Al-Jamarat bridge.Hajj Metro Train Mashaer Railway to Holy Sites

The project has 17 trains, with each train having 12 carriages and 60 doors on each side for boarding. Each carriage takes 250 Haj pilgrims, of which 50 are seated and 200 standing in addition to two front and rear cabins for operations.

The Mashaer train is among the longest in the world with each cabin standing at 25 meters and transporting 72,000 passengers per hour, at a speed of 80 and 120 km per hour.

The train is operated by remote control and transports more than 3,500 pilgrims in a single trip. Its path is elevated from the floor between nine and 45 meters in Al-Jamarat.

Around 27 Saudis were trained to drive the train for six months.

The crowd management project has been implemented by CIDIC Company, which has a contract from the Malaysian company Brazarana, under the supervision of Makkah Development Authority.

Hajj Metro Train Mashaer Railway to Holy Sites

Hajj Metro Train Report 1437

Haj Metro was on track last season, report finds

Some 311,000 pilgrims used the Haj Metro last season, with zero technical malfunctions and a high level of satisfaction with the system, an official report has said.

Makkah Gov. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal received a Makkah Development Authority evaluation of the operation of the Mashaer Railway, known as the Haj Metro, covering last year’s busiest pilgrimage season.

It found there were no malfunctions in the systems, trains or equipment at stations during Haj, which took place in September.

The report also said that the Haj Metro transported all passengers holding tickets, numbering around 311,000, according to a Saudi Press Agency report.

The Haj Metro links the southeast of Arafat, southwest of Mina and Muzdalifah. The track includes nine stations, each 300 meters long. Each train accommodates about 3,200 passengers, helping eliminate the use of many small vehicles and buses.

The report suggested the continued development and more investments to implement other train lines in the area, the SPA report said.

It noted efforts to distribute information pamphlets on how to use the train, as well as awareness films in three languages (Arabic, English and Urdu).

Makkah Development Authority assigned German TÜV SÜD Rail to inspect and evaluate the operation of the Haj Metro and compare the findings with results of studies over the past six years.

The company conducted field meetings with passengers and service providers and surveys of camps, tracks, stations and facilities, in addition to photography, video and scientific analysis of the data.

Passengers at stations were questioned on their satisfaction with the equipment, sanitation and hygiene services, with 74 percent saying they were very satisfied, 18 percent saying the services were average, and 7 percent saying they were unhappy.

The general satisfaction of users of the Haj Metro stood at 97 percent of respondents. With regard to equipment inside the train, customer satisfaction reached 95 percent, the survey found.

For next year’s Haj season, the German company has proposed the necessity for calibrating all the operating systems. The company urged the authorities to continue to prevent irregular access to the train areas and stations, and to prevent unauthorized pilgrims from accessing the railway areas.

It also said that pilgrim guides should comply with the grouping schedules put in place, and stressed the necessity of covering the station paths and slopes from direct sunshine, and to install cold water sprays to reduce the temperature.

Haramain Train Station in Makkah

 The company implementing the Haramain train station in Rasifah has completed 90 percent of the construction and finishing work.

Saeed Al-Qurashi, the head of the transport committee at the Makkah Chamber of Commerce and Industry and member of board of directors, told a local publication that the Haramain train project is expected to be operational in 2017, and will be able to transport 9,000 passengers per hour, which will ease the movement of pilgrims coming from King Abdulaziz International Airport.

“The station is a small city containing all the basic facilities and services for worshipers, and was designed according to aesthetic and engineering specifications, very unique in the world,” he added, explaining that the transport prices have yet to be defined.

The track of the train is 450 km and will shorten the travel time between Madinah and Makkah to two hours.

He also said the station is like a mini city with all necessary services for visitors and pilgrims.

“The station has arrival and departure halls, commercial stores, a prayer room, parking space, car rental offices, public sector services and their offices and restaurants,” he said.The station has been aesthetically designed in a way which makes it one of a kind worldwide,” said Al-Qurashi.

He added the ticket charges have not been decided yet.

“The railway that will connect Makkah and Madinah is one of the Kingdom’s most carefully supervised projects. It is one of the top priorities for the government. The project is going on schedule without any delays or hindrance. It will facilitate the transportation between the two holy cities greatly,” said Al-Hamdan. He said he made a tour of the train and traveled between King Abdullah Economic City and Madinah during a test ride.

“The train goes at a speed of 200 km per hour. I was with a group of officials and supervisors of the project and I had checked the station in Rabigh. It is complete and ready for operation. The national manpower is doing a great job as Saudi workers are trained in countries such as Spain,” said Al-Hamdan.

He also said the train will connect Makkah and Madinah and will have stops in Jeddah, King Abdullah Economic City and Rabigh.

“The 450-km long railway is built using the latest technology and most advanced materials. The train has the latest engines and the cars were built using most advanced technology in consultation with international companies ,” said Al-Hamdan.

There is also a VIP lounge for first class passengers, he added.

“The station will have around 70 escalators, each 23 meters long. The escalators will be the longest in the Middle East. The station will also be fully equipped with all required services. The Civil Defense will have an office at the station and there will be a parking lot with a capacity for 6,000 vehicles,” said Al-Suwaikit. Haramain Train Station in Makkah

The station will also have parking for buses and taxis, he added.

“The municipality is also working on constructing a promenade for pedestrians. The total area of the station is 461,000 sq. meters. The station is also fully equipped with surveillance cameras and plasma screens,” said Al-Suwaikit.

“We have also allocated a budget for the design and aesthetic appeal of the station. The station will have chandeliers reflecting the theme of the station and matching the design of the trains, offices and stores,” said Al-Suwaikit.

He also said the station was designed to be as eco-friendly as possible using eco-friendly material. The station will have a glass ceiling to allow the sunlight to illuminate it during the day.

Five stations have been planned for the Haramain train. They are: Madinah at the north end of the line, King Abdullah Economic City in Rabigh, King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah, Jeddah city center, and Makkah in the south.

The Makkah Central Station is located near the 3rd Ring Road. The Jeddah Central Station is located on the Haramain Road. The railway alignment route will be on the median of the Haramain road. The station at KAIA will be a terminus station. Madinah will have only one passenger station. A station may be required for the Haj Terminal at Jeddah Airport.

Makkah station is located at the main entrance of Makkah city on the 3rd Ring Road at Al-Rusaifa district. It is about 3 km from the Grand Mosque in Makkah. The station is bordered by Abdullah Areef Street on the east, and King Abdulaziz Road Project on the north.

Jeddah station is located in the center of Jeddah, specifically in Al-Sulaimaniya district at the junction of Al-Haramain Road with King Abdullah Road. It is bordered on the west by Ali Murtaza Street.

KAEC station is located at the entrance of KAEC from the east (near the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology) and within the administrative boundaries of KAEC.

Madinah station is located in Knowledge Economic City on King Abdulaziz Road and along the Prophet’s Mosque. The train station is bordered by University Road on the west and the Junction of the 3rd Ring Road on the east.Haramain Train Station in Makkah

Haramain Train Station in Makkah

Mashaer Train Service For Hajj

Mashaer rail network ensures smooth traffic

The Mashaer Railway network linking Makkah to Mina, Arafat and Muzdalifah — the holy sites visited by the guests of God to perform Haj — helps immensely in reducing traffic bottlenecks during the peak season.

The pilgrimage, which is the largest annual gathering of people in the world, witnesses pilgrims coming for Haj and safety of the huge number is of utmost importance.

The railway transports pilgrims between the holy sites to reduce congestion caused by buses and cars during the Haj. 

It also carries pilgrims performing Umrah throughout the year.

Local authorities estimate that the railway has replaced around 50,000 buses, promising a safer and more comfortable pilgrimage.

Commenting on the preparation, the Haj affairs transport department maintains that the administration is committed to use the best urban planning and smartest technology to ensure that the pilgrimage is safe and comfortable apart from being incident free.

A department official said: “There are 20 trains, each 300-meter long and with a capacity of 3,500 pilgrims per trip.

The trains will be transporting about 72,000 pilgrims in an hour, and over six hours 500,000 pilgrims from Makkah to Mina and then from Mina to Arafat.

The railway also hires young citizens for seasonal jobs during Haj. 

The official said that there are about 4,000 job opportunities for them to work as security guards and administrators to provide support to pilgrims during the peak season.

Moreover, Saudi authorities have contracted a specialized security company to organize the boarding of pilgrims onto Mashaer Railway trains during the Haj season. 

The company is specialized in crowd management and it would train Saudis in Haj security services, the official added.

According to him, the company has also recruited Saudi nationals who speak languages other than Arabic for Haj duty and provided them with an intensive training.

The newly trained Saudi nationals will be deployed at Mashaer Railway stations at the holy sites beginning this week, when the railway begins operating its regular service.

An official said the move was aimed at ensuring the safety and security of pilgrims who travel on the trains and preventing pilgrims who are not authorized to use them from boarding the carriages.

Fahd Muhammad Abu Tarboush, director-general of the railway project in the region, said the train is characterized by its fast speed and height above the ground. 

He said the ascent from Mina to Arafat and the return of pilgrims to Muzdalifah would take place according to a tight schedule that would ensure the easy and safe arrival of pilgrims to the holy sites.

Sharing more details on the railway services during Haj, he said pilgrims living in camps 500 meters away from the main station would be brought by buses.

The Haj ministry has organized a workshop for departments to discuss the problems of rail transport during Haj seasons. 

It also called on departments to strive for a successful grouping strategy for train travel.

In a solution to keep railway stations safe from the influx of crowds, they will fence off the station area so that undocumented or ticketless pilgrims cannot enter the station premises, thus avoiding overcrowding at the station unnecessarily, thereby checking stampede chances.

Furthermore, in order to ensure unimpeded transportation and timely movement, there will be a 25 percent reduction in the number of pilgrims traveling by trains at the holy sites during the Haj season this year as against the number of pilgrims allowed on the trains last year, a Haj ministry official said recently.

“The ministry plans to reduce the capacity of trains to 377,000 pilgrims this year as part of its measures to avoid repeating travel delays and other issues that arose last year,” said Abdul Rahman Endijani, director general of transport at the Ministry of Haj.

The train service will only be open for domestic and Gulf pilgrims this year, he said, adding that the ministry began considering the proposal for reducing the number of pilgrims earlier this year after it organized a workshop for departments to discuss the problems of rail transport during Haj seasons.

It also called on departments to strive for a successful grouping strategy for train travel. 

He said another solution being implemented to keep railway stations safe from the influx of crowds is to fence off the station area so that undocumented or ticketless pilgrims cannot enter the station premises.

In order to ensure a glitch-free system during the Haj season, trains have been operating since the last month, said Endijani. He said the beginning of the trial run was aimed at ensuring safe and unobstructed transportation.

The current contract of the Chinese company with the Mashaer Railway will end this year, after which a tender will be issued for the next Haj and Umrah season as the railway services will be available next year during Ramadan as well, he added.

Mashaer Railway trains running between Arafat and Jamarat Bridge were flagged off with the aim of reducing the endless traffic bottlenecks at the holy sites during the Haj seasons in a record time and it is stated to be the world’s fastest ‘design, build to operate’ metro in the world within 22 months as it was opened on Nov. 13, 2010 in time for the Haj 1431 season.

It was initially operated at 35 percent capacity with automatic train protection to assist manual driving. A member of staff was due to be retained on board once driverless operations were introduced in 2011, when the service was flagged off for all pilgrims and by the time of the 2011 Haj (Haj 1432) it was able to operate at 100 percent capacity and is estimated to have carried more that 3.95 million passengers making it, for that period, the most intensively used metro line in the world and among the busiest systems in the world.

In peak periods, the line operates with a special ‘group shuttle’ schedule with three departure stations and three arrival stations. Apart from Mashaer railway there is the Makkah railway network, officially known as the Makkah Mass Rail Transit Project (MMRTP), which is a metro system under construction in the holy city. Moreover, the government approved $16.5 billion to build the remaining four lines (182 km, 88 stations) of the system in August 2012.

The new SR62 billion Makkah public transport system will bring about a dramatic improvement in transport of pilgrims and citizens in the city, said Makkah Mayor Osama Al-Bar. 

He said the first phase of the project, costing around SR25.5 billion ($6.8 billion), would begin by the middle of next year. It will be completed in three years.

There will be underground lines in areas surrounding the Grand Mosque until the third ring road, while the lines beyond that region will be built on suspended bridges, he said. 

The first phase includes construction of a 30-km line from Um Al-Qura University in Abidiya to Sayeda Aisha Mosque. 

The bus service will be integrated with the metro system, Al-Bar said, adding that the speedy bus service would link various parts of the city, covering 60 km with 60 stations.

There will be a local bus service to areas not covered by the metro and speed bus network. 

The local buses will cover 65 km between the Grand Mosque and surrounding residential districts. 

In addition, there will be feeder bus services for the metro system.

He said the public transport scheme is to be completed in 10 years in three phases. 

Moreover, as a part of a ten-year modernization plan for the holy city, the railway network will be joined by modern communication technology, green initiatives, and other urban-planning improvements.

Earlier, Saudi Railways Organization (SRO) began planning expansion of the national rail network in 2007 with major rail projects that will directly impact on the way people move within the Kingdom. They include the Al-Harammain High Speed Rail (AHSR).

Jeddah’s role as the gateway to Makkah and Madinah is the primary historic influence that has shaped the main plan. 

The AHSR will provide a link between Makkah and Madinah. 

This high-speed passenger service connects Jeddah with Makkah and Madinah as well as Raghib and the King Abdullah Economic City. 

With two stations planned in Jeddah, one at the King Abdulaziz International Airport (KAIA) and the other in the Al-Sulaimaniya district. 

The patterns of population movement in Jeddah and within the wider region will change with the arrival of new railway service.

This year’s 2016 Haj is expected to fall in September. Pilgrims usually arrive one month before the ritual starts.

The ministry stressed the importance of early preparation for the Haj season this year in order to serve the pilgrims.

Saudi Arabia receives yearly two to three million pilgrims from all over the world, and this needs systematic planning and optimal utilization of resources.