SAUDI ARABIA: Hytera has replaced the communication systems on the Al Mashaaer Al Mugaddassah metro line in Makkah which only operates during the annual Hajj pilgrimage.
Hytera said the existing communication system, which had been running since the 18 km line opened in November 2010, had become inconvenient and costly to maintain.
‘As this year Saudi Arabia expected to welcome over 1 million people for the biggest Hajj pilgrimage since the outbreak of the pandemic, the challenge for the transport system was huge’, said Stanley Song, Deputy General Manager of the company’s overseas sales department. ‘To ensure a safe Hajj season for pilgrims taking the Makkah metro, we decided to customise most of the equipment even under a tight schedule.’
The hardware supplied includes five Tetra base stations, 34 bespoke onboard radios and antennas. The onboard radios connect with the on-train public address systems to enable announcements to be made in the event of emergencies.
Hytera also assigned two engineers to provide a 24/7 presence in the metro’s control centre during the line’s annual seven-day operating season, which this year fell in July.
