Saudi's 300km/h Haramain rail to begin operations in Q3 2018

Haramain Rail will begin operations in Q3 2018, Saudi Arabia's transport minister confirmed.

Saudi Arabia's high-speed Haramain High-Speed Rail project is due to commence operations in the third quarter of this year.

The country's Transport Minister, Nabil bin Mohammed Al-Amoudi, said pilot tests for the project began in November 2017.

Haramain Rail's speed exceeds 300km/h, and its length spans 450km, making it the Middle East's fastest.

Al-Amoudi said commercial operations for the project would be rolled out starting Q3 2018, with full capacity of 60 million passengers due to be achieved in Q1 2019.

The railway line connects Makkah with Madinah, passing through stations in King Abdullah Economic City, and King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah, the kingdom's press agency, SPA, reported.