Saudi Arabia’s Mashaer Train to Operate Again

Saudi Arabia’s Mashaer Train to Operate Again

Saudi Railway Company (SAR) wants to localize expertise in operating the al-Mashaer Train, aiming to run it entirely with trained national units by 2026.

The Mashaer Train is one of the most important transportation pillars in the Holy Sites, which is being developed continuously to promote the service provided to the pilgrims.

The project seeks to achieve the goal of Vision 2030 by increasing its capacity to five million pilgrims.

The Train was on hiatus for two years due to the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.

SAR disclosed that the Mashaer train project provided over 7,500 seasonal jobs in crowd control at the train stations.

Saudi Railways began its first operation of the Mashaer Rail after signing an agreement with the Royal Commission for the Holy City of Makkah and the Holy Sites in March 2021.

Under the agreement, SAR is required to operate and maintain the Mashaer Rail for five years. It must also manage and control the crowds and security guards and handle the assets, including stations, facilities, equipment, operating systems, and other related equipment.

SAR identified the necessary needs for the project, prioritizing projects in preparation for the operation of the Hajj season.

It implemented several projects to renew many systems, including signaling systems, wireless