THE 325km line running from Karkamis in Turkey to Nusaybin on the border with Syria has reopened following a comprehensive rehabilitation programme, also including the 25km branch from Senyurt to Mardin.
Operations resumed on March 31. Routine maintenance of the line running close to Turkey’s southern border with Syria was suspended between 2011 and 2024, and the rehabilitation programme has included reinforcing 750m of unstable ground as well as installing new drainage systems to prevent flood damage.
Work to reinforce bridges and culverts for heavier freight trains has included replacing over 2500 bridge sleepers, as well as strengthening the Karkamis Bridge across the Euphrates river. The comprehensive track renewals programme also included ballast cleaning on 100km.
According to Turkey’s minister of transport and infrastructure, Abdulkadir Uraloğlu, the upgraded Karkamis - Nusaybin line will form part of the Development Road project to connect Turkey with Iraq.
Within Turkey, a new line is planned from Nusaybin to Ovakoy on the border with Iraq. The main component of the Development Road project is 1200km of new construction in Iraq, running from south from the Turkish border to the Grand Port at Al Faw on the Persian Gulf.
North-south corridor
Separately, on April 7 Uraloğlu signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Jordan’s minister of transport, Nedal Al-Qatamine, and Syria’s minister of transport, Yarub Bedr, to cooperate on transport projects in order to strengthen regional connectivity and develop trade on the north-south corridor connecting the three countries.
A particular emphasis has been placed on developing rail links, including reviving the Hedjaz Railway that connects Damascus with Amman and developing landbridge traffic via the Red Sea port of Aqaba in Jordan.
During the meeting of the three transport ministers in Amman, Uraloğlu announced that a technical delegation is shortly due to travel to Saudi Arabia as part of broader efforts to connect the Arabian Peninsula with Central Asia and Europe.
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