Haramain High-Speed Railway Sets Ramadan Record, Transporting 48,000 Passengers in a Single Day

The train continues to operate at full capacity, with the number of daily trips gradually increasing since the start of Ramadan, reaching 130 trips per day during the last 10 days of the month. (SPA)
The train continues to operate at full capacity, with the number of daily trips gradually increasing since the start of Ramadan, reaching 130 trips per day during the last 10 days of the month. (SPA)
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Haramain High-Speed Railway Sets Ramadan Record, Transporting 48,000 Passengers in a Single Day

The train continues to operate at full capacity, with the number of daily trips gradually increasing since the start of Ramadan, reaching 130 trips per day during the last 10 days of the month. (SPA)
The train continues to operate at full capacity, with the number of daily trips gradually increasing since the start of Ramadan, reaching 130 trips per day during the last 10 days of the month. (SPA)

The Haramain High-Speed Railway set a record for the highest number of passengers transported in a single day since its inauguration in 2018, with around 48,000 passengers on the 15th day of Ramadan.

Since the beginning of the holy month, the average daily ridership has exceeded 39,000 passengers, reflecting the high demand for the train as the fastest means of reaching Makkah.

The train continues to operate at full capacity, with the number of daily trips gradually increasing since the start of Ramadan, reaching 130 trips per day during the last 10 days of the month.

To accommodate this significant demand, the Saudi Railway Company (SAR) has adjusted the train schedules to match peak times for Umrah performers, worshippers, and visitors.

Modifications have also been made to passenger flow routes within stations, and extra lounges have been provided at the Madinah station to facilitate smoother movement and enhance the travel experience.

The Haramain High-Speed Railway is one of the most prominent transportation projects serving worshippers year-round. It connects Makkah and Madinah, passing through Jeddah, King Abdulaziz International Airport, and King Abdullah Economic City. Operating on a 453-kilometer electric line, it ranks among the top 10 fastest trains in the world, with an operational speed of up to 300 km/h.

SAR announced its operational plan for Ramadan before the season began, which included providing 1.6 million seats across more than 3,400 trips on the Haramain High-Speed Railway.



A River Overflows in Southern China, Stranding People and Turning Streets into Canals 

In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, an aerial view show floodwaters from a river overwhelmed towns following days of heavy rain, in Huaiji County, south China's Guangdong Province on June 19, 2025. (Deng Hua/Xinhua via AP)
In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, an aerial view show floodwaters from a river overwhelmed towns following days of heavy rain, in Huaiji County, south China's Guangdong Province on June 19, 2025. (Deng Hua/Xinhua via AP)
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A River Overflows in Southern China, Stranding People and Turning Streets into Canals 

In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, an aerial view show floodwaters from a river overwhelmed towns following days of heavy rain, in Huaiji County, south China's Guangdong Province on June 19, 2025. (Deng Hua/Xinhua via AP)
In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, an aerial view show floodwaters from a river overwhelmed towns following days of heavy rain, in Huaiji County, south China's Guangdong Province on June 19, 2025. (Deng Hua/Xinhua via AP)

Rescue workers used rubber dinghies to evacuate people and deliver food and water Wednesday after floodwaters overwhelmed towns in southern China's Guangdong province.

About 30,000 people have been evacuated in Huaiji County after days of heavy rain, state broadcaster CCTV said.

More than half of the county's roads were submerged and power and internet outages were widespread.

The Suijiang River overflowed in an urban area, turning wide swaths of streets into canals. Aerial footage showed high-rise apartment buildings and leafy green trees sticking up from a sea of mud-colored water. In some parts, the water reached about halfway up the first floor and left only the tops of cars visible.

Huaiji County is near the border with the Guangxi region and about 140 kilometers (90 miles) northwest of Guangzhou, a major industrial and port city that is the provincial capital.

Tropical storm Wutip brought heavy rain to the region and was followed by monsoon rains earlier this week. Five people died in Guangxi in two landslides triggered by the tropical storm last weekend.

A rescue worker interviewed on a livestream by the Southern Metropolis Daily newspaper said his team needed to evacuate seriously ill patients from a hospital. The team had delivered milk powder and water to a woman with a newborn baby and was sending supplies to dozens of children and elderly people who were at a school.