ADVENTURES AROUND THE WORLD
© Christopher Earls Brennen
Places along the Hejaz Railway between Tabuk and Medina:
Coordinates Place Name Feature 28o23'16"N 36o33'33"E Tabuk Hejaz Railway Station 28o13'22"N 36o45'45"E Wadi Atil (Wadi Ethil) Bridge and Hejaz Railway Station 28o9'29"N 36o51'43"E Sahr ul Ghul Hejaz Railway Station 28o4'1"N 37o14'31"E Khamees (Khamis) Hejaz Railway Station 28o6'18"N 37o5'18"E El Akhar Hejaz Railway Station 28o5'32"N 37o7'43"E Akhar Alimentasion 28o4'49"N 37o9'12"E Wadi Khewwir Bridge 28o10'58"N 37o11'34"E Railway junction? 28o0'47"N 37o17'22"E Dschenain el Hadi Campsite 27o53'18"N 37o22'8"E Dissad (Dizad) Hejaz Railway Station 27o51'56"N 37o22'49"E Harrat 'Uwayrid Hejaz Railway Station 27o44'30"N 37o30'49"E El Muadhem (Kalaat el Muadhdham) Hejaz Railway Station and Qalat al Mu'azzam fort Fort 27o32'11"N 37o37'44"E Khism Sanaa (Khishm el Sana) Hejaz Railway Station 27o20'44"N 37o47'56"E Dar el Hamra Hejaz Railway Station 26o59'31"N 37o50'34"E Hejaz Railway Station 26o55'59"N 37o51'50"E Hejaz Railway Station 26o48'29"N 37o56'47"E Mada'in Saleh Hejaz Railway Station 26o23'30"N 37o55'31"E Al Ula (El Ula) Town 26o24'37"N 38o10'26"E Hejaz Railway Station 26o20'45"N 38o13'42"E Junction 26o17'7"N 38o16'49"E Hejaz Railway Station 26o15'54"N 38o18'59"E Sahl al Matran Hejaz Railway Station (#16) 26o10'29"N 38o25'10"E Hejaz Railway Station 25o59'9"N 38o35'14"E Bir Jehid ? Hejaz Railway Station 25o53'8"N 38o36'38"E Bir Jehid ? Hejaz Railway Station 25o47'39"N 38o40'42"E Hejaz Railway Station 25o46'11"N 38o41'46"E Wrecked train in sand 25o41'16"N 38o41'44"E Hejaz Railway Station 25o33'2"N 38o44'6"E Wadi Al Jizi Bridge 25o32'28"N 38o44'28"E Hadiyah Qatter (Hadiya) Wrecked train in sand 25o32'31"N 38o44'18"E Hadiyah Qatter Hejaz Railway Station 25o22'43"N 38o48'52"E Dscheda Hejaz Railway Station 25o16'30"N 38o49'32"E Wadi Al Hamd Bridge 25o13'44"N 38o49'27"E Abu el Na'am Hejaz Railway Station and Fort 25o5'59"N 38o53'4"E Istabl Antar Hejaz Railway Station 24o56'51"N 38o59'17"E Buwaira (Bueir) Hejaz Railway Station 24o51'11"N 39o7'39"E Hejaz Railway Station 24o50'19"N 39o8'30"E Bridge 24o42'7"N 39o13'5"E Hejaz Railway Station 24o35'27"N 39o21'37"E Hefaira (Hafira) Hejaz Railway Station 24o28'7"N 39o36'39"E Medina City Center In the grey, rocky hills outside Tabuk, the expedition first encountered the station at Al Awjariyah, a two-storey fortress built from natural grey stone. From there, following the track along the Wadi Saba for about 13km brought them to another station, where the track seems to double back on itself. From there it enters a deep gorge and then into a tunnel. The eighth station, Ad Dar Al Hamra, is situated at the end of a wide, flooded section of the wadi and was built near the ruins of a Turkish fort that they enjoyed exploring. A subsequent station at Al Mutalla has several overturned carriages lying beside it. At Mada'in Saleh, the station is more extensive with an enormous old engine house, containing several rusting steam locomotives.
The station at Al Sawrah, about 116km south of Al Ula, is one of the most scenic. Situated in a wide, beautiful wadi, the three station buildings are constructed of an attractive yellow stone. Just outside the station one can see the shells of a couple of old pick-up trucks, probably the remains of an attempt to rehabilitate the railway line. Some 34km south of Al Sawrah twisted iron rails lie buried beside the remains of an engine, sitting bolt upright in the sand despite being some distance from the track itself. An explosion ripped open the metal at the back of the engine and wrecked bogies, blown apart from their carriages, lie nearby. Further south is the site of the first mining of the Hejaz Railway at Aba el Naam.
Last updated 1/1/01.
Christopher E. Brennen