Haramain Train for Hajj and Umrah pilgrims

Great News!! The much-awaited Haramain train has started its operations as of 11th October 2018. Pilgrims around the world are excited to use the service and make their journeys more comfortable. Traveleap has made the train a part of their umrah packages and you can now book a package with us using the train.

So, what is the project and what does it mean for the Hajj and Umrah pilgrims. Get ready for the most comprehensive post on the Haramain train on the internet.

Here are some quick facts to start with:

Haramain train has 5 stations namely
- S1 : Makkah
- S2 : Jeddah
- S3: King Abdullah Economic City of Rabigh.
- S4 : Medinah
- S5: KAIA Jeddah Airport
The train will cover a total distance of 450 km. if you count the distance from Jeddah.
The train will operate at 300 km per hour speed.
The train can accommodate 417 passengers in one run.
The train has an annual capacity of 60 million passengers, enough to cover the pilgrims and locals load.
The Al Haramain Express train fleet consists of 35 high-speed trains and each train has 13 coaches.

The train is not only aimed at the locals but will also transport pilgrims from around the world to the holy city of Makkah and Medinah.

Fares:

The train’s fares have been kept reasonable for everyone to be able to use it. And they are pretty much equal to the bus fares.

You can opt to go in one of the two classes specified:

Tourist (Economy) Class:

Makkah to Jeddah and vice versa: SR 20 per person (PKR 720 approx)
Makkah to Medinah and vice versa: SR 75 per person (PKR 2665 approx)
Jeddah to Medinah and vice versa: SR 63 per person (PKR 2270 approx)

Business class:

Makkah to Jeddah and vice versa: SR 25 per person (PKR 900 approx)
Makkah to Medinah and vice versa: SR 125 per person (PKR 4500 aprox)
Jeddah to Medinah and vice versa: SR 105 per person (PKR 3800 approx)

A 50% discount is also in place from 11th October onwards for the first two months of operations.

*The above rates have been calculated at the current, a rather safe conversion rate of SR1 = PKR 36.

So, now that you are excited to use the service,

How can you buy a ticket?

There are mainly three ways:

If you are in Saudi, you can dial 92000 4433 and someone from the special helpline set up for the haramain train will assist you with the timings, stations etc. Outside Saudi (If you are eager enough before you travel :-)), you can, of course, call the same number at 00966-92000-4433. You can use Visa and Mastercard to pay for the tickets. However, we can only update you on the use of any such payment method, once we get feedback from returning clients.
You can also book tickets online from the train’s website. www.hhr.sa. This is probably the easiest way.
If you are already in Saudi, you can simply go to the stations in Makkah, Madinah, Jeddah, and Rabigh and get your hands on the same day or advance booking ticket.

Once the payment is made, you will receive a text message to your mobile phone containing the ticket number and an e-mail containing the details of the ticket. so no need to go collect it. It is like an e-ticket.

Schedule:

Initially, a weekly schedule for the days of Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays has been announced. Hopefully, this is going to be extended to daily operations, once the train gets more traction. For pilgrims, it is advisable to check well in advance, so that their full reliance on the train does not affect their movements. Any changes to the schedule can be checked here. https://www.hhr.sa/sites/sro/Pages/ar-sa/Services/Passenger/Schedule.aspx

Baggage Allowance:

Now if you are planning to travel using the train you will be allowed a luggage allowance of 25 kgs per ticket. The dimensions of your bags should not exceed 65cm x 55 cm x 35 cm.

Ticket changes and modifications:

So, say you have booked the tickets but now something has come up and you want to change the tickets or cancel them altogether.

No problem.

The tickets can be modified or refunded at the deduction of 10% of their value 24 hours before departure.
The ticket can also be canceled or changed also at the deduction of 20% of their value even within 5 minutes of the departure.