What is the name of the high-speed railway connecting Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia?

The high-speed railway connecting Mecca and Medina is the Haramain High-Speed Railway.

Its name refers to the “Two Holy Mosques,” a title associated with Mecca’s Masjid al-Haram and Medina’s Prophet’s Mosque. The railway’s main line runs for roughly 449 kilometres between the two cities, passing through Jeddah and King Abdullah Economic City in western Saudi Arabia.

The line opened to the public on 11 October 2018 and became Saudi Arabia’s first high-speed railway. Trains operate at up to 300 km/h, allowing the journey between the holy cities to be completed in roughly two hours, depending on the service and timetable.

The railway uses Talgo 350 SRO trainsets supplied from Spain and is operated by Saudi Arabia Railways. A branch also serves King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah. “Haramain” is therefore not a nickname for a generic Gulf rail project; it is the formal name of this specific Saudi passenger railway.