PUTRAJAYA: A total of 20 experienced staff from Express Rail Link Sdn Bhd (ERL) have been deployed to Saudi Arabia, to support the operation of the Al Mashaaer Al Mugaddassah Metro, or Makkah Metro, during this year's hajj season.
ERL chief executive officer, Noormah Mohd Noor, said that this year marks the 11th year of ERL's involvement in sending staff to Makkah for the hajj season.
She said that ERL is honoured to be given the trust once again, by China Railway Construction Corp Limited (CRCC), to send support staff to Makkah.
“This year, all the staff selected are among those who have experience of being involved in the operation of Makkah Metro before.
“The skills and experience possessed by the staff assigned to Makkah will definitely be able to facilitate the smooth running of train services, and the movement of the hajj pilgrims,” she said, at the sending off of ERL staff to Makkah, today.
Deputy Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Khairul Firdaus Akbar Khan officiated the sending off.
Khairul said that the sending off of Malaysians to Makkah will provide an opportunity for his ministry to further intensify promotional activities of Malaysia as an 'Umrah Hub', in addition to improving Malaysia's reputation as a country with efficient and recognised skilled manpower in public transport infrastructure, especially railway services.
He then handed over the Jalur Gemilang to the group leader, Putera Wan Jaffri Abdul Hamid, who once again shouldered the heavy responsibility as deputy operations manager, the second most senior position in the entire operation of the Makkah Metro service.
When met, Putera Wan Jaffri said that this year marks the ninth year he had been entrusted with such a great responsibility.
“Since 2013, I have been selected to lead the team supporting train operations in Makkah, which is a difficult task because it not only carries the image of the company, but also the name of the country. The main challenge of working in Makkah is not only the extremely hot weather, but having to supervise 7,000 staff from various countries, customs, languages and characters,” he said.
The ERL team is expected to depart for Makkah on April 27.
The Makkah Metro line involves an 18-kilometre track, connecting the holy sites of Arafah, Muzdalifah and Mina.
The support staff loan program is the result of ERL's joint venture with Saudi CRCC, which has been appointed by the Saudi Arabian government as the operator of the Makkah Metro service.
Makkah Metro has been recognised as the metro train with the highest passenger density in the world. Each train has 12 carriages and is capable of transporting up to 3,000 passengers per trip, or more than 72 thousand passengers in each direction, per hour.
