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Hejaz Railroad project can be of great value as it can link Arab countries with European states |
Saudi Arabia and Turkey have reaffirmed their desire to restore and rebuild the historic Hejaz Railway that linked Damascus with the holy city of Madinah by a narrow-gauge rail line and used by pilgrims traveling from Istanbul to the Prophet's Mosque via the Syrian capital. The plan, the first since the Six-Day War interrupted a similar project in 1967, would extend the reach of the railway to its original but never completed southernmost destination - Makkah. World War I put an end to the rail line shortly after its completion in 1913.
Binali Yildirim, Transport Minister, Turkey, said, "The plan envisages restoration and modernization of the railway line by the Turkish government within its territory, while it calls on Syria and Jordan to rebuild the tracks on their sides. On the Saudi side, they do have an ambitious plan to set up railway projects. So, when these 4 countries come together, the entire project would be completed."
The new plan would, if completed as envisioned, connect Istanbul to Makkah. No time frame for the implementation of this multinational project was provided, though it is speculated that it could be completed in 5 years. A contract to convert the narrow-gauge line to standard gauge was signed in Jordan last year, where a portion of the rail line is still in use in the south of the country.
