Haramain High Speed Railway

The first high-speed intercity railroad in Saudi Arabia, Al Haramain Express, will carry travelers from Mecca to Medina via Jeddah and King Abdullah Economic City. The Saudi Railways Organization successfully ran a trial run from Jeddah to Medina in July 2017. The Haramain Express is a 453-km-long (281-mile) railway network that will connect the holiest towns of Mecca and Medina to provide travelers with a safe, swift, and comfortable mode of transit.

How Fast is the Train?

The Haramain Express will travel between the two cities in as little as 90 minutes, reaching speeds of more than 300 km/h (190 mph). The annual passenger capacity of the train is estimated to be close to three million. It has a maximum annual passenger capacity of 60 million. Spanish Talgo coaches have been instructed to report for duty.

Equipped Stations: 

The stations are constructed in a modular manner, and they all share the same design components. Inspire by the colonnades present in many regional traditional buildings, the steel arches and columns form standalone structural trees that are reproduced on a square grid and linked to form a flexible vaulted roof. According to the identities of the various cities, the vaults in each station are a distinct color.

At their busiest, the stations are intended to handle up to 20,000 people per hour. As a result, the layout of the interiors follows the direction of travel, making it easier for passengers to navigate the stations without having to change levels frequently, while the interior spaces offer relief from the desert's intense heat.

Small holes in the vaulted sky and walls direct daylight beams out to the concourse level, carefully regulating the sun's harsh glare and resulting in a serene, atmospheric, and well-lit setting. Focused illumination is provided by spherical chandeliers suspended between the arches, which also emphasize the structure's rhythm by mediating between the size of the ceiling and the concourse level.

High-end technology of the stations: 

An essential topic that permeates the concept is sustainability. The station structures are constructed by the principles of felt temperature reduction, which reduces ambient temperatures without the use of mechanical cooling from outside the station to the platform. The temperature within the station is kept at 28 C, and the platforms feature big fans and misting systems to keep the environment cool. The glazed façades' mashrabiyas, which provide views of the outside while simultaneously lowering inside temperatures, aid.