Saudi Arabia’s new high-speed railway opened to the public on Thursday, whisking Muslim pilgrims and other travellers between Makkah and Madinah, Islam’s holiest cities.
The Haramain High-Speed Rail system will transport passengers 450 kilometres (280 miles) via the Red Sea port of Jeddah at speeds of up to 300 kilometres per hour.
Two trains, each carrying 417 passengers, departed from Makkah and Madinah at 8 am (0500 GMT), according to the state-run Saudi Press Agency.
Two daily services are initially planned in each direction, it said.
Saudi King Salman on October 25 inaugurated the high-speed railway, which local officials described as the biggest transportation project in the region.
The new link will slash the travel time Makkah and Madinah from several hours to 120 minutes, transport officials said.
