Hejaz Railway Station

A railway was built to connect Constantinople with the Hejaz region of Saudi Arabia, which is home to the holiest places in Islam and to expedite the journey of pilgrims undertaking the Hajj. By 1908, the railway, which had been started in 1900, had traveled 1,600 km from Syria to Medina, albeit its last section to Makkah had never been completed.

Hejaz Railway remains:

The largest and most easily accessible stations along the line were constructed at Medina and Tabuk, and both have recently undergone restoration. Locomotives and information centers have been added to allow visitors to become fully immersed in the railway's tragically brief history.

Visit the museum, located in the original Edwardian station, to view its collection of documents, artifacts, and photographs from a bygone era. Some of these items date back to the time of the railway, while others are much older. One of the best surviving examples of a station can be found in Tabuk, further north, along with other artifacts from that era and a reconstructed locomotive and freight vehicle.

Hejaz Railway station experience:

You'll need an SUV - and a map - for a more memorable encounter. Al Buwayr station, which is an hour's drive northwest of Medina off the Medina-Al Ula road, has the ruins of a station and fort that soldiers would have used to guard the railway line, as well as an almost-complete train and numerous cars. The place is still clearly visible despite the barrier surrounding it.

Last but not least, don't skip Huraymil's ruins. Take the road through the mountains for about 4 kilometers after leaving the town's center. Here, you can still see the ruins of a fort and another station, along with the massive locomotive's rotting carcass that is laying on its side on the sand.

Tabuk Museum at Hejaz Railway:

The Hejaz Railway station in Tabuk, built in the early 20th century, is one of the best maintained in Saudi Arabia. Over 80,000 square meters, there are 13 recently renovated structures, including a handicrafts center, a workshop, and a structure that holds a freight car, a locomotive, and numerous interesting Ottoman artifacts. The property will also house Tabuk's brand-new, cutting-edge city museum, which was launched in early 2020.