Saudi Arabia's high-speed rail project launches at 300kmph
High-speed railway links Mecca and Medina
Saudi Arabia, Sept 25: Saudi King Salman on Tuesday inaugurated a high-speed railway linking Mecca and Medina, Islam's holiest cities, described by local officials as the biggest transportation project in the region.
The Haramain High-Speed Rail system will transport Muslim pilgrims, as well as regular travellers, 450 kilometres (280 miles) between the two cities via the Red Sea port of Jeddah in two hours.
"This project is considered the biggest transport project in the Middle East," Mohammed Falaha, a Haramain project manager, told AFP.
Thirty-five passenger trains capable of travelling at speeds of 300 kilometres per hour will slash the travel time from several hours to 120 minutes, transport officials said.
The rail project, dogged by several delays, was built at a cost of more than $16 billion, according to Saudi media.
In 2011, Saudi Arabia signed a deal for a Spanish consortium to build the rail track, supply 35 high-speed trains and handle a 12-year maintenance contract.
The kingdom is boosting its infrastructure spending and expanding its railways, including with a $22.5 billion metro system under construction in the capital Riyadh, as it seeks to diversify its oil-dependent economy.
The annual hajj pilgrimage, which is to be held in September next year, attracts more than two million Muslims to the Mecca region.
Courtesy: www.khaleejtimes.com
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Karnataka Examinations Authority publishes syllabus for CET 2025
Bengaluru: The Karnataka Examinations Authority has released the syllabus for the Common Entrance Test (CET) to be conducted in 2025 for admission to professional courses including engineering, on its website https://cetonline.karnataka.gov.in/kea/.
Executive Director of KEA, H. Prasanna on Saturday issued a notification, advising students to use the syllabus for Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Biology from both First and Second PUC as outlined on the portal.
"This syllabus has been prepared based on the NCRTC syllabus and the textbooks published by the School Education, PUE Department," the announcement read. Furthermore, H. Prasanna explained that it has also been reviewed by subject experts from PU colleges.
