Saudi’s Haramain trains to resume within 30 days after fire at Jeddah station

Saudi Arabia's Haramain High Speed Railway will resume operations within thirty days after fire hit its Jeddah station on September 29, state news agency SPA reported on Tuesday citing the minister of transport, Dr. Nabil Al-Amoudi.

The fire to the roof of the train station in the Sulaimaniyah neighbourhood in Jeddah injured eleven people, SPA said on Sunday. 

Investigations are underway to find out the cause of the fire. 

Haramain High Speed Railway manages the 450-kilometre electric-rail network connecting Mecca and Medina through Jeddah and King Abdullah Economic City. The first trains started running in October 2018.

The service was constructed primarily to carry haj and umrah pilgrims to relieve road congestion, cutting the journey between Mecca and Medina by half, down to around three hours.  

It is also part of the Kingdom's efforts to boost its tourism revenue as the country seeks to shed its dependence on oil exports.

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