Turkey-Syria-Jordan deal revives historic Middle East railway

Turkey, Syria and Jordan have positioned themselves as a potential regional transport hub through plans to modernise and reconnect their railway networks, reviving a historic line and laying the groundwork for a future corridor linking southern Europe to the Gulf. According to Bloomberg on Thursday, citing Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu, efforts to restore the Hejaz Railway are already underway following an agreement reached with his Syrian and Jordanian counterparts at a meeting last week. Uraloglu added that the network is expected to take four to five years to complete, after which it is planned to connect with Saudi Arabia’s rail system. Speaking to Bloomberg , Uraloglu underscored the strategic importance of establishing a fully operational corridor supported by modernised road and rail infrastructure, while highlighting its historical significance. The Hejaz Railway, constructed under Ottoman Sultan Abdulhamid II and inaugurated in 1908, once ran from Istanbul to Medina via Damascus and Amman. It was originally built to serve Muslim pilgrims and reinforce administrative links across the Ottoman Empire. The line reduced the journey between Damascus and Medina from around 40 days to just five, but fell into disuse after suffering extensive damage during World War I and subsequent conflicts. Its revival has since been widely seen by the three countries as both symbolic and strategic, with the potential to restore regional connectivity, boost trade and support post-war reconstruction. The latest report follows Uraloglu’s visit to Amman last week, where he held trilateral talks with his counterparts from Syria and Jordan. During the visit, the three sides signed a memorandum of understanding on transport cooperation aimed at strengthening regional connectivity and boosting trade along a key north–south corridor. The Turkish official also announced earlier this week that Ankara has reopened a 350-kilometre railway line along its south-eastern border with Syria following extensive renovation work, after maintenance had been delayed since 2011 due to the outbreak of the Syrian civil war . Meanwhile, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates signed a $2.3 billion agreement on Wednesday to launch a rail project linking the port of Aqaba with nearby mining regions. The project includes the construction of a 360-kilometre network connecting phosphate and potash mines in the southern provinces of Ma’an and Karak to Aqaba via two main routes, along with associated tunnels and bridges. According to a Jordanian cabinet statement, the initiative forms part of wider regional plans to link the Port of Aqaba to the Mediterranean via Syria and Turkey, while also strengthening connectivity with Saudi Arabia and the wider Gulf.