MAKKAH: The Mashaer Metro Train System in Makkah transported a total of 1.87 million passengers during this year’s Hajj season, according to Saudi Arabia Railways.
From June 3 until June 9, the trains made 2,154 trips between the stations of Mina, Muzdalifah, and Arafat, the railway agency said in a statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
The operational plan for the Mashaer transport system during Hajj 2025 was divided into five main phases. The first phase, conducted from June 3 to 4, facilitated the transportation of over 27,000 passengers across all stations.
The second phase shifted around 282,000 pilgrims from Mina to Arafat, while the third transported 294,000 from Arafat to Muzdalifah, and the fourth moved over 349,000 from Muzdalifah to Mina.
“The final phase, which lasted until sunset on the last day of Tashreeq, recorded the movement of over 920,000 passengers to and from Mina 3 (Jamarat) station,” the SPA said.
Saudi Arabia Railways CEO Bashar AlMalik credited the successful execution of the operational plan to thorough preparation, which included simulation exercises and trial runs conducted in collaboration with operational and security agencies.
The train, known as the Al-Mashaer Al-Mugaddasah Metro or the Sacred Sites Train Line, travels at a speed of 80 km/h and can transport passengers from Mina to Arafat in just 20 minutes. Spanning 18 kilometres with a double-track railway, the system features nine stations across the holy sites and has the capacity to carry up to 72,000 passengers per hour in one direction.
Opened in 2010, the line is used exclusively as a shuttle train for pilgrims between holy sites in Makkah, Mina, Mount Arafat and Muzdalifah.
The metro system, with a fleet of 17 eco-friendly electric trains, each capable of carrying 3,000 passengers, has reduced traffic congestion and carbon emissions by replacing about 50,000 passenger buses during the Hajj season.
