Today's Cancelled Trains
Prasarana launches Makkah Metro Rail Service Operations
Makkah: Saudi Arabia has rolled out a special metro train service for this year’s Haj season that will allow nearly 370,000 pilgrims to travel daily from Makkah to Arafat and help reduce traffic congestion.
The first of the 12-car train on the Al Mashaaer Al Mugaddassah Makkah Metro Southern Line (MMMSL) operated by Syarikat Prasarana Negara Berhad (Prasarana) started operations after the metro service was flagged off on Monday which will be able to carry 370,000 passengers daily, Al Mashaer Al Muqaddassah Makkah Metro Southern Line (MMMSL) Director of Operations Haji Mohammad Burhanuddin Esmail said.
makkah metro rail services The train will commence operations between the Arafat 1 station and will head north towards Jamarat in Mina, stopping at the nine stations along the way, said the Prasarana Malaysia Berhad (Prasarana) company, which was awarded a three-year contract for operations and maintenance of the train network.
Providing connectivity between Arafat, Muzdalifah and Mina, more than 370,000 pilgrims are expected to travel daily on the 18.1km alignment. The train service is exclusive for the Haj season.
MMMSL was launched in November 2010. The train service is expected to effectively take out 53,000 buses being used by pilgrims and ease traffic congestion.
The train system will operate in five different modes of movements in sync with the Haj rituals.
The train operations will be close for this year on Sunday. Millions of pilgrims will travel to Arafat on Wednesday, marking the climax of Haj.
After offering prayers at Arafat, pilgrims will return to the tent-city of Mina to perform the ritual of animal sacrifice.
Prasarana was awarded the contract to operate and maintain the MMMSL in May this year after taking over from the China Railway Construction Consortium (CRCC) that operated the line since the inauguration of the service in 2010.
The service which starts at 4 am, provides connectivity between Arafah, Muzdalifah and Mina and about 370,000 pilgrims are expected to travel daily on the 18.1 km alignment during the 2015 haj season.
According to Muhammad Burhanordin, Movement A would run continuously for 34 hours until 7 pm on Sept 22 (8 Zulhijjah) before Movement B commences from 8 pm to 10 am, Sept 23 (9 Zulhijjah) for the critical movement of pilgrims to Arafah.
“Movement B will be a direct shuttle service with trains taking pilgrims from the three stations in Mina to the three stations in Arafah,” he said adding that the service will stop for just over eight hours before commencing into operation at 6.18 pm on the same day for Movement C.
According to Muhammad Burhanordin, Movement C, which would observe another round of shuttle service format from the three Arafah stations to the three Muzdalifah stations, would be the greatest challenge.
“After wukuf, everybody will be leaving Arafah to ‘mabit’ in Muzdalifah. We will be putting 12 trains to cover Movement C, which will run for just over three hours and 42 minutes until 10pm.
“This is before we start Movement D from 11.30 pm until 8.30 am on the following day to ferry pilgrims to Mina for their stoning act at Jamarat,” Muhammad Burhanordin said.
Train services from Sept 24 to 27 (10 to 13 Zulhijjah) would follow Movement E, which stops at selected stations at Mina 1 and 2; Muzdalifah 3, Arafat 3 and Mina 3.
“We will officially close operation for this year at 6 pm, Sept 27 (13 Zulhijjah) and start making preparations for next year’s Hajj season,” said Muhammad Burhanordin, who is also responsible for the smooth running of the nine stations.
Muhammad Burhanordin was also quoted as saying that managing the crowd is a massive challenge, not only due to the numbers and the language barrier, but also the fact that many of the pilgrims are elderly people and quite a number would be using the metro service for the first time.
“Insyaallah, we will deliver the best service in the history of the Al Mashaaer Al Mugaddassah Makkah Metro this year,” he added.
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