RIYADH, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud launched on Tuesday Harmain high-speed rail linking Mecca and Medina in Jeddah, Al Arabiya local news reported.

The project has reportedly been built at a cost of more than 16 billion U.S. dollars.

The train, described as the biggest transportation project in the region, will transport pilgrims and regular travelers 450 kilometers between the two cities in two hours.

According to officials, the new passenger train that can travel at speed of 300 km per hour will cut down travel time to 120 minutes.

In 2011, Saudi Arabia signed a deal with a Spanish consortium to build the rail track, supply 35 high-speed trains and handle a 12-year maintenance contract.