Syria, Türkiye and Jordan are looking to revive a historic railway to boost regional connectivity. A meeting between transport officials from the three countries concluded with a joint proposal to improve regional rail and port infrastructure and to seek out a connection to Eastern Europe.
The key proposal of the meeting relates to a revival of the historic Hejaz railway. The old Ottoman line only operated for twelve years, between 1908 and 1912, and connected Damascus (Syria) to Medina (modern day Saudi Arabia).
A revival of the Hejaz railway could extend the reach of rail infrastructure to the Red Sea by improving transportation capacity to Jordan’s Aqaba port. That would create a direct overland link between the Red Sea and Türkiye, and by extension to Europe. The three countries make an explicit proposal to improve the freight route between Aqaba and Eastern Europe.
A modern railway network
The transport officials also agreed to launch technical studies for a modern railway network beyond only the Hejaz railway. Such a network should connect the countries to global trade corridors, according to The Jordan Times. That could mean the maritime Suez Canal route, but also overland corridors, such as the INSTC and the Middle Corridor.
Beyond simply rail infrastructure, Jordan has offered technical assistance to Syria in locomotive maintenance. It also hopes to reopen the Bab Al Hawa–Cilvegözü crossing for trucks.