The high-speed rail service connecting the Saudi cities of Mecca and Medina reached 6.97 million passengers in 2023. The line, named Haramain High-Speed Railway, is operated by a Consortium in which the Saudi branch of Renfe holds a majority.
This is a 90% increase compared to 2022 (3.67 million) and the highest annual record since its commercial activity began on October 11, 2018. In total, Haramain High-Speed Railway provided 24,533 commercial services in 2023, 61% more than in 2022. Punctuality reached 97%, eight-tenths more than the previous year.
Monthly statistics also reflect this progressive evolution of demand: during the past December, the figure was 703,309 passengers, 34% more than the same month in 2022 (525,160). The number of commercial services has also increased during this same period (1,996 compared to 1,712).
Ramadan and Hajj
The most positive data of the year were recorded during the periods of Ramadan and Hajj (major pilgrimage), thanks to special programs developed to meet the mobility needs associated with pilgrimages to Mecca and Medina. Thus, the record for monthly reservations corresponded to the month of April, with more than 825,000 travelers.
Regarding the number of trips, on June 25, 2023 the highest daily offer of Haramain High-Speed Railway was recorded on the occasion of Hajj (131 services). Punctuality during this day of highest operational load was almost total: 99.24%.
With a satisfaction index of 99%, users highlight the quality of customer service both in stations and on board trains, as well as the precision in departure and arrival schedules.
More than 1,300 workers
Haramain High-Speed Railway is the first high-speed railway line in the Middle East. Apart from its commercial activity and the transportation of millions of passengers between the two holy cities of Islam, it has also been recognized for its contribution to the transformation plans of the economy and society of Saudi Arabia outlined in the Vision 2030 strategy.
In this regard, in January 2023, it incorporated the first 34 female train drivers in the history of the Kingdom. The selection process for the drivers was met with great expectation in the country and more than 28,000 applications were received to participate.
The operating company of Haramain High-Speed Railway, which also includes Adif and Ineco, has more than 1,300 direct employees, the majority of Saudi nationality. In 2021, Prince Faisal bin Mishaal al Saud, governor of the Al-Qassim region, and the Saudi Minister of Transport, Saleh bin Nasser Al-Jasser, awarded the operator a recognition for contributing to the training and certification of hundreds of local railway professionals at the Buraidah center, Qassim province.