Haramain High-Speed Rail Project. The Haramain High-Speed Rail Project, announced by the Saudi Railway Organization, involves a 450km rail link between Makkah (Mecca) and Madinah. It will also pass through Jeddah and Rabigh in Saudi Arabia. Other components of the project include high-speed trains fitted with the latest equipment and five ultra-modern passenger stations – one in Mecca, two in Jeddah, one at King Abdul Aziz International Airport and one in Madinah.
The project is expected to be completed by the end of 2012. The rail track is expected to cut down the amount of time taken to travel between Mecca and Madinah to two hours. It will also shorten the travel time between Jeddah and Mecca to half an hour. Haramain high-speed rail project phases The rail project will be executed in two phases; Phase I started in 2009.
In April 2009, $38m worth of design contracts for four of the five train stations were awarded to a joint venture between Foster & Partners and Buro Happold. Mecca-Madinha high-speed rail link. Haramain High Speed Rail Project. The Haramain High Speed Rail project also known as the "Western Railway" or "Mecca-Medina high speed railway", is a 449.2 kilometres (279.1 mi) high-speed inter-city rail transport system under construction in Saudi Arabia.[1] It will link the Muslim holy cities of Medina and Mecca via King Abdullah Economic City, Rabigh, Jeddah, and King Abdulaziz International Airport. It will connect with the national network at Jeddah. As of August 2014, the Medina to Rabigh section is scheduled for services by the end of 2015, suggesting a phased opening.[2] The rail line is planned to provide a safe and comfortable transport in 320 kilometres per hour (200 mph) electric trains.
Construction started in March 2009. Design[edit] Stations[edit] There will be five stations on the line at: Medina (Knowledge Economic City) at the north end of the lineKing Abdullah Economic City in RabighKing Abdulaziz International AirportJeddah's city centerMecca in the south.[7][8] Trains[edit] History[edit] Phase I[edit] Upcoming GCC High Speed Rail Projects. 2017: Abu Dhabi to Dubai by train.
Etihad Rail, the developer and operator of the UAE's national rail network, has made significant progress since its inception in 2009 and is set to complete the project as per schedule within next five years, according to a senior official. "Looking at stage one alone, construction is well under way, the sleeper factory in Mirfa is fully functional, and wagons have already arrived. "Stage two to link trains between Abu Dhabi and Dubai will be in place by 2017," he said, adding that the 1,200 kilometre network is expected to be completed by 2018, when it will connect the rest of the network in the northern emirates.
“Our locomotives also arrived in April 2013, and we are on schedule for the first train to run from Habshan to Ruwais by the end of this year," Shadi Malak, Executive Director of Commercial and Operations, Etihad Rail, said. UAE connectivity "Etihad Rail plans to operate some passenger trains between Abu Dhabi and Dubai once stage three is in place by 2018. GCC plans. UAE to award contracts for second phase of vast rail network. Casablanca—Tangier high-speed rail line. The Casablanca—Tangier high-speed rail line is a high-speed rail line under construction in Morocco.[1] This was decided in November 2007 by the national government after a roadmap performed in 2005[2] by the Morocco's rail company ONCF. ONCF plans to deploy 1500 km of high speed lines in next three decades. The first step of this project is under progress between Tangier and Kenitra to be ended in 2016,[3] until this date a first upgrade (220 km/h) is programmed for the existent line Kenitra–Casablanca.
After 2020 the Kenitra–Casablanca (320 km/h) will be performed and Casablanca–Marrakech line will be upgraded in the same time to permit Tangier–Casablanca in 1h30 and Tangier–Marrakech in 2h45. In early 2009, a cooperation contract between Morocco's rail company ONCF and French rail company SNCF was signed to cooperate on the project.[4] Project details[edit] Sources of finance (20 billion dirhams total):[5] Expenditure: Construction[edit] Trains[edit] Criticism[edit] See also[edit] ONCF. See also Rail transport in Morocco ONCF or ONCFM (from French: Office National des Chemins de Fer du Maroc; Arabic: المكتب الوطني للسكك الحديدية Al-Maktab al-Waṭaniy lil-Sikak al-Ḥadīdiyyah; Moroccan National Railways Office) is Morocco's national railway operator. The Office employs around 7,806 employees[1] and has a network of 1,907 km, all 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge of which 1,003 km is electrified (2006).[2] History[edit] ONCF was created January 1, 1963 as a merger of: Railways of Morocco (CFM) (French Compagnie des chemins de fer du Maroc)Railway of Eastern Morocco (CMO) (French Compagnie du chemin de fer du Maroc oriental)Franco-Spanish company of Tanger-Fès (TF) (French Compagnie franco-espagnole du Tanger-Fès)Mediterranean-Niger-Railway (MN) (French Chemins de Fer de la Méditerranée au Niger) The railways has been state-owned since formation in 1963.
Network[edit] Moroccan Railnet The network has a north-south track from Tangier via Rabat and Casablanca to Marrakech. Egyptian National Railways. Egyptian National Railways (ENR; Arabic: السكك الحديديه المصريه) is the national railway of Egypt and managed by the parastatal Egyptian Railway Authority (ERA; Arabic: الهيئه القوميه لسكك حديد مصر). History[edit] 1833–77[edit] In 1833 Pasha Muhammad Ali considered building a railway between Suez and Cairo to improve transit between Europe and India. Muhammad Ali had proceeded to buy the rail when the project was abandoned due to pressure by the French who had an interest in building a canal instead. [citation needed] Proposed railway from Cairo to the Sea of Suez by C.F. In 1848 Muhammad Ali died, and in 1851 his successor Abbas I contracted Robert Stephenson to build Egypt's first standard gauge railway. Sa'id's successor Isma'il Pasha strove to modernise Egypt and added momentum to railway development. 1877–88[edit] 1888–1914[edit] Wagons-Lits coaches at the inauguration of a new service between Luxor and Aswan in 1926 Sinai[edit] Museum[edit] Operations[edit] Passenger trains[edit]
Metrorail (South Africa) Metrorail is an operator of commuter rail services in the major urban areas of South Africa. It is a division of the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA), a state-owned enterprise which is responsible for most passenger rail services in South Africa. The Metrorail system consists of 471 stations, 2,228 kilometres (1,384 mi) of track, and carries an average of 1.7 million passengers per weekday.[1] Metrorail was formed as a business unit of Transnet and was transferred to the South African Rail Commuter Corporation (SARCC), the predecessor of PRASA. In the early 1990s Metrorail was placed under Spoornet, another business unit of Transnet but on 1 January 1997, Metrorail became an independent business within Transnet and the Metrorail regions were formed.
In 2006 Metrorail was transferred back into the SARCC; in 2008 the SARCC became PRASA. Because Metrorail operates services in several separate cities, for operational purposes it is subdivided into four regions. Gauteng region.