Holy Sites Metro has officially launched its first trips for the 2026 Hajj season, marking the beginning of one of the world’s largest dedicated mass transit operations for pilgrims.
The metro line connects Mina, Arafat, and Muzdalifah through an integrated network of nine stations designed to facilitate smooth movement between the holy sites during Hajj.
The system is built to handle massive passenger volumes, with each train capable of carrying around 3,000 passengers and an operational capacity reaching 72,000 passengers per hour, making it one of the highest-capacity transit systems globally.
For the 2026 Hajj season, the operational plan aims to transport more than two million pilgrims through approximately 2,000 scheduled trips throughout the season.
The metro also plays a major role in reducing traffic congestion, with the capacity to replace more than 50,000 bus trips during Hajj, significantly improving transportation efficiency and crowd movement across the holy sites.
Earlier, Saudi Railways confirmed the system’s readiness following extensive maintenance and preparation work involving 17 trains, as well as upgrades to signaling systems, communications networks, control centers, and stations to ensure safe and reliable transportation services.
Since its launch in 2010, the Holy Sites Metro has become one of the Kingdom’s most important Hajj infrastructure projects, representing a major advancement in crowd management and pilgrim transportation as part of Saudi Vision 2030 and the Pilgrims Experience Program.
