Haramain High-Speed Line Powers Saudi Rail Record as Technology Contract Extended
Saudi Arabia Railways (SAR) closed 2025 with a transport milestone, moving more than 14 million passengers nationwide and underscoring the Haramain High-Speed Railway’s central role during the Hajj season. At the same time, a major technology partner has secured an extended operations and maintenance commitment that will keep critical signalling, communications and ticketing systems under the same management for at least five more years.
Ridership surge, Hajj peak and freight strength
In 2025 SAR logged a 7. 1% increase in passenger volumes over the prior year, running in excess of 45, 000 trips and transporting over 14 million travellers across its network. The spike was driven in part by religious tourism: nearly 2 million pilgrims relied on the Haramain High-Speed Railway to travel between the Holy Cities of Makkah and Madinah during the Hajj season. Those figures highlight the line’s importance in absorbing extreme demand during peak periods while maintaining schedule integrity.
Passenger figures add to a robust freight picture. SAR’s freight division moved more than 30 million tonnes of goods and minerals in 2025, underlining the dual passenger-and-cargo role of the national rail operator as Saudi Arabia expands its logistics capacity.
Technology renewal secures operations and expands fleet capabilities
A renewal of the operation and maintenance contract for the Haramain High-Speed Railway will extend support for the line’s rail traffic management, signalling, telecommunications, booking, ticketing, access control, safety and IT platforms for a minimum of five years. The extended agreement also covers the integration of 20 additional trainsets into the system, with the supplier fitting those units with its telecommunications and control technologies.
The supplier’s traffic management systems underpin operations across the line’s more than 450 kilometres of track, supporting high levels of punctuality while enabling heavy monthly traffic—measured in train-kilometres and passenger volumes. A centralised control facility in Jeddah coordinates real-time communications between trains, stations and operations staff, streamlining decision-making and providing a rapid response to disruptions. Upgraded ticketing platforms, including contactless payment and advanced access control, are designed to handle nearly a million online bookings each month and to accelerate passenger flows at peak times.
New luxury services and regional connectivity on the horizon
Beyond capacity and systems upgrades, SAR is diversifying its product offering. An ultra-luxury sleeper train project announced in October 2025 (ET), aimed at domestic leisure and inbound tourism markets, is scheduled to begin operations in late 2026 (ET). The service is planned to feature 33 suites, two restaurant cars and a dedicated Majlis lounge, with interiors emphasizing wood finishes, gold accents and earthy tones—positioning rail as a premium travel choice for overnight journeys from Riyadh.
Regional rail ambitions continue to shape long-term strategy. A high-speed electric passenger railway linking Doha and Riyadh is targeted for completion in 2031 (ET), with projected speeds above 300 km/h and reduced travel times between major Gulf hubs. In parallel, passenger rail services in neighbouring states are expanding, creating opportunities for cross-border connectivity that could multiply the Haramain line’s strategic relevance within a wider Gulf rail network.
With record ridership, a secured technical backbone and new service products coming online, the Haramain High-Speed Railway and the national rail operator are positioned to play an increasingly prominent role in Saudi Arabia’s transport and tourism ecosystems. The alignment of fleet growth, digital systems and regional linkages will be critical as demand patterns evolve beyond the 2025 peak.
