Al Mashaaer Al Mugaddassah Metro line
Al Mashaaer Al Mugaddassah Metro line Overhead catenary | |||
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The Al Mashaaer Al Mugaddassah Metro Line (English: The Sacred Sites Train Line,
The line opened on 13 November 2010,[1] in time for the Hajj 1431 between 25–29 November 2010.[2] It was built separately from, and will not be physically linked to, the future Mecca Metro network.
Services
Before completion, Saudi officials estimated the line would replace 53,000 buses, promising a safer, more comfortable pilgrimage.[3] By the time of the 2011 Hajj (Hajj 1432) it was able to operate at 100% capacity and is estimated to have carried more than 3.95 million passengers[4] making it, for that period, the most intensively used metro line in the world and among the busiest systems in the world. Each 12-car train carries 3,000 passengers and the headway is 150 seconds (24 trains per hour).[Note 1]
In peak periods the line operates with a special "group shuttle" schedule, better known as train movement "D", with three departure stations and three arrival stations. (At each holy site on the line there are three stations.) At off-peak times stopping-all-stations service is run, with various movements "A", "B", "C" and "E".[4] Tickets are 250 riyals, except the last day when they are 100 riyals.[5]
Operation contracts
In March 2010,
In November 2014, Metro project promoter Makkah Mass Rail Transit Co has selected Kuala Lumpur transport agency
During the 2014 Hajj, staff from Prasarana Malaysia and Express Rail Link helped to fulfil CRCC’s staffing requirement to support operations.[9]
Beginning in 2018, the contract was once again held by
Train movements
Movement | Date | Time | Service patterns | Arafat 1 |
Arafat 2 |
Arafat 3 |
Muzdalifah 1 |
Muzdalifah 2 |
Muzdalifah 3 |
Mina 1 |
Mina 2 |
Mina 3 (Jamarat) |
A | 7 Dhu al-Hijjah
|
04:00–24:00 | Arafat <> Mina | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● |
A | 8 Dhu al-Hijjah
|
00:00–19:00 | Arafat <> Mina | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● |
B | 8 Dhu al-Hijjah
|
20:00–24:00 | Mina > Arafat | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | |||
B | 9 Dhu al-Hijjah
|
00:00–10:00 | Mina > Arafat | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | |||
C | 9 Dhu al-Hijjah
|
Sunset–22:00 | Arafat > Muzdalifah | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | |||
D | 9 Dhu al-Hijjah
|
23:30–24:00 | Muzdalifah > Mina Group Shuttle |
Departure A | Departure B | Departure C | Arrival A | Arrival B | Arrival C | |||
D | 10 Dhu al-Hijjah
|
00:00–08:30 | Muzdalifah > Mina Group Shuttle |
Departure A | Departure B | Departure C | Arrival A | Arrival B | Arrival C | |||
E | 10 Dhu al-Hijjah
|
09:00–24:00 | Mina > Muzdalifah > Arafat > Mina | Stop 3 | Stop 2 | Departure | Stop 1 | Arrival | ||||
E | 11 Dhu al-Hijjah
|
00:00–24:00 02:00–04:00 |
Mina > Muzdalifah > Arafat > Mina Trains stop for maintenance |
Stop 3 | Stop 2 | Departure | Stop 1 | Arrival | ||||
E | 12 Dhu al-Hijjah
|
00:00–24:00 02:00–04:00 |
Mina > Muzdalifah > Arafat > Mina Trains stop for maintenance |
Stop 3 | Stop 2 | Departure | Stop 1 | Arrival | ||||
E | 13 Dhu al-Hijjah
|
00:00–18:00 02:00–04:00 |
Mina > Muzdalifah > Arafat > Mina Trains stop for maintenance |
Stop 3 | Stop 2 | Departure | Stop 1 | Arrival |
Construction history
The line was claimed to be the world's fastest design in the world, at 22 months, 16 months if religious habit is taken into consideration. It was initially operated at 35% capacity with automatic train protection to assist manual driving.[11]
CRCC carried out construction of the project infrastructure and integrated and subcontracted various systems. The line was built in only 21 months by about 8,000 skilled and unskilled workers and approximately 5,000 engineers.
DBI (Deutsche Bahn International
Several subcontracts were awarded. Al-Muruj Electromechanical Co. was awarded MEP works at all 9 stations.
The line is elevated at a height varying between 8 metres (26 ft) and 10 metres (33 ft).[14][11]
Although the current metro uses conventional steel wheel on rail technology, it is sometimes incorrectly referred to as a 'monorail' due to cancellation on planned project in 2009.[14]
CRCC losses on contract
In November 2010 CRCC claimed they had lost 4.15 billion yuan (~US$600 million) on the US$1.77 billion contract due to changes insisted on by the client.[15] The earthworks alone reportedly increased two-and-a-half times from 2 million cubic metres to 5 million.[16] CRCC was seeking, with Chinese government support, extra compensation from the Saudi Arabian government to help cover the losses.[needs update]
Rolling stock
On 4 April 2009, CNR Changchun (now CRRC Changchun Railway Vehicles) was awarded a contract to supply 17 Type A 12-car metro trainsets.[11] Each set has eight motor and four trailer cars, all with aluminium bodies. A Type A car is 22.3 metres long and 3 metres wide.[17] Knorr-Bremse supplied the braking systems[13] with modifications to suit sandy conditions. It also features 5 train doors per side.[2]
The first trainset was shipped from China in May 2010 and the last arrived by the end of 2010.[2]
See also
- Saudi Railways Organization (SRO)
- Saudi Railway Company (SAR)
- Transport in Saudi Arabia
- Riyadh Metro
Notes
- pphpd).
References
- ^ a b "Hajj pilgrims take the metro to Makkah". Railway Gazette International. 15 November 2010. Retrieved 8 May 2014.
- ^ a b c d e f "Hajj trains shipped to Makkah". Railway Gazette International. 18 May 2010. Archived from the original on 23 May 2010. Retrieved 8 May 2014.
- ^ Barry, Keith (8 September 2009). "Take the Monorail to Mecca". Wired. Retrieved 8 May 2014.
- ^ a b "Operation during Hajj season 1432H (2011 G)" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on February 22, 2014. Retrieved April 1, 2014.
- ^ Mecca Metro – Information, Route Map, Fare & Timings
- ^ "Mecca Metro built by CRCC to be fully operated on Nov. 3". english.crcc.cn/. Archived from the original on 6 June 2015. Retrieved 30 November 2011.
- ^ "#Serco case study – Makkah Metro". totalrail.org. Archived from the original on 6 June 2015. Retrieved 28 March 2012.
- ^ "Prasarana to operate Makkah's pilgrim metro". railwaygazette.com. Archived from the original on 25 November 2018. Retrieved 15 May 2015.
- ^ "Prasarana wins Makkah metro consultancy contract". railwaygazette.com. Retrieved 28 November 2014.
- ^ "Hajj metro prepared for annual seven-day operating season". Archived from the original on 5 October 2018. Retrieved 5 October 2018.
- ^ a b c d e f "Makkah metro contracts signed". Railway Gazette International. 24 June 2009. Archived from the original on 28 February 2010. Retrieved 26 February 2010.
- ^ "World rail market March 2009". Railway Gazette International. 8 March 2009. Archived from the original on 16 June 2011. Retrieved 3 March 2010.
- ^ a b "Knorr-Bremse in Mecca". Railways Africa. 3 July 2009. Retrieved 27 February 2010.
- ^ Straits Times. AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE. 12 February 2009. Archived from the originalon 31 March 2009. Retrieved 27 February 2010.
- ^ An Yang (17 November 2010). "China to Help CRCC Claim Loss on Mecca Metro Project". CaixinOnline. Retrieved 8 May 2014.
- ^ John Garnaut (16 November 2010). "China Inc goes off the rails in Saudi Arabia while building Mecca monorail". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 8 May 2014.
- ^ Sharon Lee (11 May 2009). "CSR Zhuzhou: A Contract of 150 Metro Vehicles Valued RMB 1.1 Billion". Rednet.cn. Retrieved 27 February 2010.