(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - Riyadh The Al Mashaaer Al Muqadassah, or the Holy Sites Metro known also as Makkah Metro, has been hailed as one of the most spectacular and successful transport projects in the reign of King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz.
Dr Habin Bin Mustafa Zain Al Abdeen, undersecretary of the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs, estimated that the Metro would ease road congestion by taking more than 30,000 vehicles off the roads at the holy sites which pilgrims use to travel between Makkah and the holy sites.
A spokesman said the Metro would be up and running during this year’s Haj season between November 15 and 19 — but only at 35 per cent of its total capacity at this time. The project is expected to go into full swing in the year 2011, he said.
The railway, at full capacity, will have 20 trains. Only ten will be up and running during this year’s pilgrimage, but each train will be able to carry up to 3,000 passengers in 12 carriages accommodating about 250 passengers each, he said.
Long journey
The train, which travels from Arafat to Muzdaifah and Mina in about seven minutes, can carry up to 72,000 pilgrims in a single trip. Pilgrims in previous years have been forced to spend hours driving, or even walking, to the holy sites.
Each station is separated into two terminals and has 16 elevators with a capacity for 50 people. It also has six pedestrian walkways to help prevent congestion and eliminate traffic accidents.
Each station can accommodate 3,000 pilgrims and will be air condidtioned. Pilgrims can use five doors to get into the station.
Train tickets will cost 250 riyals (Dh244) for the entire Haj season for local and Gulf Cooperation Council pilgrims, and 100 riyals for other pilgrims only for the last three days of Haj.
The train project was started three years ago following a series of incidents in which thousands of pilgrims were killed in stampedes and other accidents during the Haj.
The Chinese Railway Construction Corporation (CRCC) began building the railway two years ago after it was awarded the 6.7 billion riyal contract, which the Chinese President signed during a visit to Saudi Arabia.
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