Mecca Metro
Rapid transit in Saudi Arabia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Mecca Metro or Makkah Metro is a metro system with four planned lines in the city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia. The Metro was constructed by China Railway Construction Corporation[3] and is run by Mecca Mass Rail Transit Company (MMRTC). The metro forms part of the 62-billion-riyal Mecca Public Transport Programme (MPTP), which will include integrated bus services.[1][4][5]
3 (projected)[1][2]
| Mecca Metro | |
|---|---|
| |
 | |
| Overview | |
| Native name | قطارات مكة للنقل العام |
| Locale | Mecca |
| Transit type | Rapid Transit |
| Number of lines | 1 – Al Mashaaer Al Mugaddassah Metro line (shuttle train for Hajj pilgrims) 3 (projected)[1][2] |
| Number of stations | Line S – 9 Line A B C D – 81 (projected)[2] |
| Operation | |
| Began operation | November 13, 2010 |
| Technical | |
| System length | 18.1 km (11.2 mi) (operational) 188 km (117 mi) (projected)[2] |
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge |
The four proposed metro lines[5] will be in addition to the existing Al Mashaer Al Mugaddassah Metro line: 18.1 km, connecting Mecca, Arafat, Muzdalifa, and Mina opened in November 2010.[6][7]
Many people utilize the Mecca Metro during the Hajj.
Planning
In August 2012, it was announced that the Saudi government had approved a US$16.5 billion budget to build four metro lines (182 kilometers (113 mi)) of the system.[8] The announcement gave an estimated time period to completion of 10 years. Invitations for tenders were due to be issued in January 2013.[9]
Four new lines are to be built.[10]
- Line A : will connect Mecca to large multilevel parking facilities from the south to the northeast.
- Line B : is a straight link between Mina and Mecca and continues parallel to the HHSR into the southwest.
- Line C : will connect Arafat and Mina to the west side of Mecca and continues to the northwest.
- Line D : will connect the south to Mecca with a straight extension to the west.[11]
Work on the 188-kilometer (117 mi) long metro network with 87 new stations had been expected to commence construction in 2015,[1] then in 2016,[2] but had not started ever since. After a failed tender in 2017,[12] the Saudi government restarted the project in summer 2024 by ordering a feasibility study on phase 1 of the project. This phase with a US$8 billion budget covers planned line B and most parts of line C, while line A will be in the second phase, and line D plus a northern extension of line C will be part of phase 3.[11]
MMRTC has appointed Prasarana Malaysia to provide consultancy services during Phase 1, which covers the construction of two metro lines, totaling 45.1 km and 22 stations by 2019.[4][needs update]
