DUBAI: Passengers traveling between Amman and Damascus could be taking the train as early as the end of 2026, with both countries determined to restore a historic rail link that once connected the Levant with the holy cities of Madinah and Makkah.
A high-level meeting in Amman last month saw Jordan, Syria, and Turkiye agree to work together on reviving the historic railway.
Under the agreement, Turkiye will support Syria with reconstruction efforts, while Jordan will provide locomotive maintenance.
Although details regarding timelines remain limited, Zahi Khalil, director-general and deputy chairman of the Jordan Hijaz Railway at the Jordanian Ministry of Transport, said plans are well underway and could allow passenger services between the two capitals as soon as next year.
“Turkiye agreed in September to support the repair of the railway section between Damascus and the Jordanian border. They will completely restore it,” Khalil told Arab News on the sidelines of the Global Rail Conference in Abu Dhabi last week.
“Regarding the connection process — the link between Damascus and Amman — it could be ready by the end of next year, 2026. So possibly in the last quarter of next year, we’ll have the first passenger trip between Amman and Damascus.”
Khalil said the initial phase of the project will focus on passenger transport, but there are also plans to upgrade the route for freight trains within the next three to five years. This, however, will require significant infrastructure upgrades to handle heavier loads.
Historically, the Hijaz Railway was part of the Ottoman rail network and served as a major link between Damascus and Makkah, reducing a journey that once took 40 days to just five. Seen by the sultan at the time as a symbol of Islamic unity and progress, the railway holds deep historical and cultural significance across the region.
Khalil explained that much of the historic track would be rehabilitated, upgraded for modern trains, and reused, with large sections of the original route still intact. He believes the revived line will function not only as a vital transport connection but also as a heritage attraction in its own right.
“Trains are one of the greatest and easiest means of connection between countries; they carry large numbers of people and encourage tourism both within Jordan and between Jordan and neighboring countries,” he said.
“For example, on the old Hijaz Railway, we already have daily tourist trips in the historic Wadi Rum area, but only there. When the line connects to other regions, it will bring tourists from neighboring countries and other Jordanian cities.”
The original Hijaz Railway was intended to extend all the way to Istanbul, connecting the Ottoman capital with Makkah. However, the project was never completed due to the First World War and the subsequent fall of the Ottoman Empire.
With Turkiye now deeply involved in Syria’s reconstruction, Khalil believes there is renewed potential to realize the railway’s original scale. He noted that work is already underway to rehabilitate lines between Damascus and Aleppo, with plans to extend the tracks to the Turkish-Syrian border.
“Once Syria is linked to the Turkish rail lines, Amman will be connected all the way to Istanbul,” he said.
Looking ahead, Khalil added that there are also plans to link Amman with future railway projects in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council, ultimately realizing the full vision of the historic Hijaz Railway.
