MAKKAH: The Saudi Public Transport Authority (PTA) confirmed that it has not yet set ticket prices for the trains operating between Makkah and Madinah, but said it is in the process of addressing the matter.
The PTA stressed that the prices are going to be suitable for everyone and will reflect the services provided.
The spokesman of the PTA, Abdullah Sail, told Arab News that the PTA is going to continue its pilot service trips of the Haramain high-speed train in the next few months. Some passengers will be invited to try the train experience and the services provided on it during weekends and some special trips. Sail said: “These trips are planned to increase gradually until we reach full commercial operation.”
The Haramain train will start its operations with two pilot trips next week between Makkah and Madinah with a full load of passengers. However, commercial operations are expected to start by mid-2018, after the completion of the Jeddah and King Abdul Aziz airport stations.
Umrah visitors, who are expected to reach about 15 million by 2020, are impatiently waiting for the full operation of the Haramain train, which will cross the distance between the two holy cities in two hours instead of six hours by bus.