KUALA LUMPUR: After a two-years hiatus, Express Rail Link Sdn Bhd (ERL) will once again be sending its staff to Saudi Arabia to support the Al Mashaaer Al Mugaddassah Metro train operations during the haj season this year.
Twenty-five of its staff will be going to the Holy Land to offer their services with the first 10 to leave on April 20 while the remaining on May 20.
ERL chief executive officer Noormah Mohd Noor said this year marks ERL's ninth year of providing operational support to the Makkah Metro in collaboration with China Railway Construction Corporation Limited (CRCC) Saudi since 2012.
"We are honoured to be given the trust once again by CRCC Saudi to provide skilled and experienced operations staff to support the Makkah Metro operations for the next three years until 2024.
"It is a true testament to ERL's strength and commitment to world-class service and reliability. This year will certainly pose a new challenge to the staff in view of the tight health protocol and emphasis on pilgrims' safety.
"Nevertheless, I am confident that their experience, skills and competence will help ensure the operations run smoothly and our good track record is maintained, she said today.
Also present were Transport Ministry secretary-general Datuk Isham Ishak and Land Public Transport Agency (APAD)'s director general Azlan Shah Al Bakri.
The 25 employees from ERL and its subsidiary company, ERL Maintenance Support Sdn Bhd (E-MAS) will be seconded for a period of two to three months as Deputy Station Manager, Station Master, Assistant Station Master and Station Control Room Agent.
CRCC requires more than 5,000 people to run the whole train operations and manage nine stations during each haj season including station management, platform and waiting room operations, operation control centre and train drivers.
Isham later handed over the Jalur Gemilang to the ERL Team Leader, Putera Wan Jaffri Abdul Hamid who is being seconded for the seventh time.
Known as the Makkah Metro, this 18-kilometre railway system connects the holy sites of Arafat, Muzdalifah and Mina, and operates seven days a year only to transport the pilgrims during the peak haj week.
Prior to Covid-19 pandemic times, the train could ferry as much as 500,000 pilgrims within six to eight hours with more than 5,000 staff to manage the train operations.