MADRID: A high-speed railway linking Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia, which has been plagued by delays, will finally start operating in September, the Spanish consortium building the project said Thursday. The railway linking Islam's holiest cities, which was initially scheduled to open at the end of 2016, had a cost overrun of 210 million euros which Saudi Arabia has agreed to pay, the Al-Shoula consortium added in a statement. It will begin operating in September with four trains per week, before offering daily service by September 2019. The rail line crosses the Arabian Desert, where sandstorms are frequent and large dunes can suddenly form, which has added to the difficulties in completing the project. The leading firms in the consortium — Spain's rail company Renfe, train maker Talgo, and state track operator Adif — have extensive experience with Spain's own high-speed network, the world's second largest after China's.

Source: New Strait Times May 17, 2018 17:37 UTC