Business & Money | Thursday 24 September, 2015 3:31 am |

About 100 trained Saudi women have joined hands with 1,500 of their male counterparts in organizing transportation of 370,000 pilgrims by Al-Mashaer Train that links the holy sites of Mina, Arafat and Muzdalifah. Pilgrims from Southeast Asia, Turkey, Europe and GCC countries as well as domestic pilgrims are using the state-of-the-art facility.

The Central Department for Development Projects at the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs, which supervises the railways, said it has coordinated with the Haj Ministry, Public Security and the Civil Defense to ensure smooth flow of pilgrims using the train service. A specialized company has also been contracted to organize pilgrims’ flow at the railway stations.

“We have made all preparations to receive pilgrims who are authorized to use the train for movement between the holy sites. Pilgrims from different countries have been instructed to use the train at specific times to avoid overcrowding,” the department said.

The railway has issued new tickets with different colors this year to avoid forgery. The ministry is charging SR250 from a pilgrim for using the train throughout the Haj season. The charge for traveling to Jamrat on the train for the stoning ritual is SR50 for four days. Government employees, other workers and volunteers who do not wear ihram shall pay SR50 for using the facility from Dhul Hijjah 7 to 13. Authorities have issued tickets in different colors for six groups of passengers.

The automatic train system can carry 3,500 pilgrims at a time. The trains operate on railway lines constructed above the earth by nine to 45 meters, following international standards. The railway system has been instrumental in facilitating transportation of thousands of pilgrims between the holy sites, reducing environment pollution and helping authorities get rid of 30,000 buses.

The railway crosses a total area of 18.2 km. There are three stations each at the three holy sites. Sixty electronic gates with seven lines have been established to organize entry of pilgrims to the train. 

It can transport more than 83,000 passengers per hour. Trains run at a speed of 80 to 120 km/hour, taking 13 minutes to reach from Arafat to Mina, seven minutes from Arafat and Muzdalifah, and 9 minutes from there to Mina.