Shafaq News– Damascus

Syria has begun developing railway links with neighboring countries, including Iraq, to rebuild transport infrastructure, a senior transport official said.

Abdul Hadi Al-Shahada, director of media at the Syrian Ministry of Transport, told Shafaq News on Monday that domestic projects include rehabilitating suspended railway lines, particularly the Aleppo–Hama–Homs–Damascus route, where authorities aim to triple current train speeds to 100–120 kilometers per hour for freight services.

While the program covers restoring rail connections with Iraq, including the Deir Ez-Zor–Al-Bukamal line near the Iraqi frontier, he noted that priority is being given to linking Syria’s rail network with Turkiye, as well as upgrading the line connecting phosphate mines to the port of Tartus to handle higher cargo volumes.

Major obstacles remain, however, including shortages of railway materials and specialized equipment, a lack of technical staff, funding constraints, and the absence of local railway firms with sufficient expertise to take part in the projects, according to Al-Shahada.

Yarub Badr, Syria’s transport minister, told CNBC in October that the country needs about $5.5 billion to repair and upgrade its railways to international standards, adding that only 1,052 km of the 2,800 km network are currently in service.