Saudi Arabia’s Haramain High Speed Railway to resume operations after COVID-19 suspension

The Haramain High Speed Railway between Makkah and Madinah will reopen from the end of this month.

The service was suspended in March 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Passengers will be able to book tickets online from Monday and trains will stop at Makkah, King Abdulaziz International Airport, King Abdullah Economic City and Madinah, Saudi Press Agency reported.

Haramain vice president Rayan Al-Harbi said the resumption of journeys between Makkah and Madinah comes after ensuring the train network was ready to operate according to the highest safety levels “in readiness to receive Umrah pilgrims and visitors.”

Al-Harbi said the railway was prepared for the upcoming Hajj season and that test journeys had been carried out during the suspension period to ensure the efficiency of train and station staff.

A new timetable for the network is due to be announced.

The Haramain, which travels at 300kph, opened in October 2018.

A fire in September 2019 caused extensive damage to the Al-Sulaymaniyah Jeddah station and led to a suspension of services for more than two months.