Mohammed Al-Suwaiket, president of the Saudi Railway Organization (SRO), has said that 95 percent of the SR 6.7 billion in compensation for expropriated properties on the course of the Haramain Railway has been disbursed so far.
During an inspection tour to a project site, which is located between the Jeddah and Makkah stations, he pointed out that the number of properties along the course of the project, stretching from Makkah to Madinah and passing through Jeddah, amounted to 5,600 land plots.
“Most of the obstacles have been overcome,” he said, adding that the SRO is pressing the contractor to accelerate the pace of work in the first phase of the project. He indicated that there are a number of difficulties the contacting company is facing in the Alharazat area, which they are aiming to resolve as soon as possible.
“We held a meeting with Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, governor of Makkah, to discuss means of rapidly evacuating the property,” said Al-Suwaiket.
The president explained that the track is divided into six parts. Work in four of these has been completed. “The contractor responsible for the second phase has embarked on installing the rails this month.”
He said that 92 percent of the fifth phase of the track has been completed, while the sixth phase is lagging due to a number of obstacles related to properties inside Jeddah.
The Haramain Railway project is a significant component of the expansion work of the railway network spanning 450 km. The railway will serve to link core cities to one another in a first-of-its-kind initiative in the Kingdom, connecting Makkah to Madinah and passing through Jeddah, as well as King Abdullah Economic City in Rabigh.
The project will provide a convenient and safe means of travel for millions of citizens, pilgrims and visitors, and is an unprecedented development in the Kingdom’s public transportation system.
95% compensation for Haramain Railway paid
95% compensation for Haramain Railway paid
