SAUDI Arabia Railways (SAR) is informing potential suppliers of its intention to procure 20 new trains for the 453km Haramain high-speed line, running from Mecca to Medina via Jeddah and King Abdullah Economic City.
The new fleet will support operational expansion and strategic development of the high-speed in line with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 objectives. SAR says that the Haramain high-speed line plays a vital role in carrying millions of passengers a year, particularly during the Hajj and Umrah seasons when large numbers of pilgrims make their way to Mecca.
The current fleet comprises 35 Talgo 350 SRO trains which operate at up to 300km/h on the high-speed line, which is equipped with ETCS Level 2. Each 13-car train has a dining area and a total of 417 seats, comprising 113 in business class and 304 in economy. There is also one VIP train.
The high-speed line is operated by Renfe KSA, the Saudi Arabian subsidiary of Spanish national operator Renfe which is the principal shareholder in the Al Shoula consortium which designed, built and now operates the new line.
Al Shoula comprises 12 Spanish companies, including Talgo and infrastructure manager Adif, as well two Saudi companies, Al Rosan and Al Shoula.
Following the start of trial operations on December 31 2017, commercial services between Mecca and Medina began on October 11 2018. The full timetable was introduced on March 31 2021 when the 12-year operations and maintenance component of the contract awarded to Al Shoula came into force. There is an option to extend this term to 17 years.
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