Türkiye, Syria and Jordan have agreed to revive the historic Hejaz railway line, a top official said on Sep. 23, marking a major step toward restoring regional connectivity and preserving shared heritage, reported the Daily Sabah.
“The historic Hejaz Railway is being revived,” Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu said in a statement.
The agreement was reached during a tripartite meeting held earlier this month in Amman, according to Uraloğlu.The three countries reached a preliminary agreement on a draft memorandum of understanding (MoU) that outlines comprehensive cooperation in transportation infrastructure, he said.
As part of the initiative, Türkiye will assist in completing 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) of missing superstructure on the Syrian segment of the railway.Jordan, meanwhile, will assess its technical capacity to support the maintenance, repair and operation of locomotives within Syria.
The three countries also plan to conduct joint technical studies aimed at enhancing Türkiye’s access to the Red Sea via Jordan’s Port of Aqaba.
Additionally, road transport between Türkiye and Jordan through Syria is set to resume after a 13-year suspension due to the civil war.
Originally constructed between 1900 and 1908 under Ottoman Sultan Abdulhamid II, the Hejaz railway line stretched approx. 1,750 kms, linking Istanbul to the Islamic holy cities of Makkah and Madinah, as well as Damascus and parts of Yemen.