JEDDAH - The company engaged to conduct studies for the construction of the Western Region railway lines linking the holy city of Makkah to Jeddah, Rabigh and Madina has finalized the fares and duration of the trips. Accordingly, the price of a ticket from Jeddah to Makkah is SR10 and the rail ride will take 30 minutes, The fare from Makakh to Madina, a three-hour 50-minute ride, is SR60. The Jeddah-Madina fare is SR50, for a two-and-a-half hour journey.
The train stations in Jeddah are King Abdul Aziz Airport and Haj Terminal. In Makkah, two stations will be located at the holy sites.
The train bound for Madina will stop in Rabigh, where the station will be at the gateway of King Abdullah Economic City.
The process of expropriating land for the railway routes has delayed project implementation. The delay is because some landowners have title deeds for properties belonging to the State, Arabic newspapers reported.
Regulations defining the tasks of the newly formed Railways Authority were endorsed by the Council of Ministers on Monday.
The Authority is tasked with licensing rail transport service providers. It will also be engaged in drawing up laws defining the standards and technical conditions for use of the railway facilities and for protecting the interests of rail transport service providers.
The Authority has the right to import goods for the development project without paying customs duties.
The Minister of Transportation chairs the Authority's board of directors who may also be represented by the authority's governor who will be appointed by a Royal Decree.
The board includes representatives from the ministries of Transportation, Commerce and Finance in addition to three other members to be appointed by the Council of Ministers on the recommendation of the Minister of Transportation
The authority has a legal status and is financially and administratively independent. It is headquartered in Riyadh and will have branches and offices within and outside the Kingdom.
The Authority is mainly tasked with organizing railway transportation activities and ensuring operational safety. Its other responsibilities are:
- Monitoring illegal competition in rail transportation.
- To technically investigate any accident that may inflict losses on the railways.
- Provide statistical data on rail transport services.
- Seek technical assistance and expertise of local and international agencies specialized in the field.
The Authority generates its financial resources from the following:
- Allocations in the State budget.
- Revenues from issuing licenses.
- Fees collected from service providers.
- Fines defined in the law.
The Authority will deposit its revenues on its account in the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency (SAMA) and also in licensed local banks. It is empowered to spend on its budget needs and deposit the balance in the State Treasury.
The board will meets at least once every three years or whenever the need arises or in case four of the board's members call for a meeting.
Each of the board's members has one vote but members are not allowed to vote by proxy.
© The Saudi Gazette 2008
