Abideen, Deputy Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs, has said that the Holy Sites Train will undergo its first test run in 60 day's time in Arafat. Al-Abideen said that work was currently being conducted on the two electric stations for the train and that their supply current would be available “within a few weeks”. He added, however, that the first phase of the train project – comprising the basic infrastructure for the two-way tracks over 18 km – is complete. “It's a high speed train raised on single-support columns and passes down the center of the road,” the deputy minister said. “The line will have no effect on the pilgrim tents zone and the design has taken into account build-ups in pilgrim numbers and the topography of the land.” According to Al-Abideen, the train will be capable of transporting 70,000 passengers every hour and at speeds between 50 and 70kph. The first 10 out of a projected total of 30 trains, each with 12 carriages, arrived in Makkah on Sunday, and the remainder is expected in the next few days. “The train has all the requirements for pilgrims and facilities for special needs persons and the elderly, and the stations have escalators and large elevators to take passengers to the train in the greatest of comfort and ease,” Al-Abideen said. The deputy minister added that the Chinese company working on the project is to bring in a further 6,000 workers from abroad in the next few weeks to ensure that the deadline is met, bringing the total number of staff working on the construction project to 14,000.
