Syria Railway: Reviving Lawrence of Arabia’s Bombed Line
- Syria is embarking on an aspiring project to revive the Hejaz Railway, a historic line that once connected Damascus to Medina.
- However, World War I and sabotage limited its completion to the Damascus-Medina segment.
- Mazen al-Malla, the station's custodian and a former conductor, has worked for the railway for 35 years.
Syria eyes the revival of the historic Hejaz Railway, a crucial project with potential to boost the country’s economy and regional trade, as reported by News Directory 3. This enterprising undertaking, though, faces meaningful hurdles. The railway, originally constructed in 1908 and linking Damascus with Medina, suffered extensive damage during the war; with missing tracks and unique rail gauges complicating the restoration process. Reviving this primarykeyword is seen as critical for postwar reconstruction, offering access to vital materials and opening markets for Syrian manufacturers. The secondarykeyword, Hejaz heritage, is a vital thread in the country’s identity. with plans to reconnect with Jordan, what exciting developments await this iconic railway line’s future?
Syria Aims to Revive Historic Hejaz Railway Amidst Challenges
Syria is embarking on an aspiring project to revive the Hejaz Railway, a historic line that once connected Damascus to Medina. The railway, an engineering marvel completed in 1908 by the Ottoman Empire, aimed to facilitate the movement of goods, soldiers, and pilgrims.
However, World War I and sabotage limited its completion to the Damascus-Medina segment. The Qadam station museum,which opened in 2008 to celebrate the railway’s centenary,was looted during Syria’s 14-year civil war and is now a shell. Remaining artifacts are boxed up,though one first-class car remains,its leather seats and wood panels coated in dust.
Mazen al-Malla, the station’s custodian and a former conductor, has worked for the railway for 35 years. He hopes to see the Hejaz railway, a vital piece of Hejaz heritage, running again. “God willing, when the track is repaired, I will be at the wheels of the first train,” al-Malla said. He last drove the Hejaz train in Syria in September 2011,a tourist trip from Amman to Damascus,and dreams of its revival.
The railway is a family affair for al-Malla. His father was born at the Qadam station and ran the train, while his grandfather conducted trips to Saudi Arabia in the 1930s. The Malla family’s history with the Hejaz spans 90 of its 117 years.
“This is our heritage as Syrians and the wider Levant. This is our inheritance,” al-Malla said, who lives at the station near an abandoned locomotive.
Beyond nostalgia, economic incentives drive the railway’s potential return. Approximately 220 of the Hejaz’s 800 miles of track cross southern Syria and Damascus,heading toward Lebanon. One abandoned line extends to Haifa, in Israel.
Until 2011, freight moved regularly between Syria and Jordan, with Syrian furniture, woodwork, and textiles going to Jordan, and Jordanian phosphates and cement coming to Syria.
Relaunching the Hejaz Railway and relinking Damascus to Amman, and eventually to Aqaba, could accelerate Syria’s recovery.There is a critically important need for raw materials for Syria’s postwar reconstruction, and Syrian manufacturers seek access to outside markets.
Restoring the Hejaz Railway, a key piece of Hejaz heritage, presents significant engineering challenges. Between Daraa and Damascus, 25 miles of track have allegedly been stolen by former Assad regime forces for war use and profit.
Because the Hejaz rail gauge is narrower than modern rails, Syrian authorities need custom-built track to reconnect to the existing Hejaz track in Jordan.
The old rail factory at Qadam station is in disrepair,and the expertise to forge,repair,and maintain Ottoman rail is limited.
“The rail has suffered from destruction and a lack of repairs,but renovating is a very good prospect for both Damascus and Amman,” said Mohamed al-Ajami,general manager of the Hejaz and Syrian Railways.
Al-Ajami added that Syria’s geographic position on the Mediterranean makes it a strategic transit point,connecting Iraq,Jordan,and the Arabian Peninsula with Turkey and Europe. He hopes to make Syria an essential transit point for global transport, but acknowledges it will be a massive undertaking.
Rail authorities aim to renovate Syria’s southernmost tracks within a year to resume trips from Amman to Daraa. Within two years, they hope to lay enough track to resume travel from Daraa to Deir Ali, south of Damascus, and then to the capital itself.
Meanwhile,stone Ottoman-era stations remain damaged or destroyed. The black basalt station in Daraa, the second-largest in Syria, is in ruins, with only a bombed-out stationmaster’s hut and a burnt arrivals office remaining. Three dozen rusted cargo and passenger cars line up on tracks submerged in sand.
Syrian transport authorities are seeking investors to finance the Hejaz’s resurrection and are in talks with Jordanian Hejaz Railway authorities about reconnecting the two countries.Until it is back on track, the historic rail lies dormant, a forgotten time capsule from a turning point in world history, and a vital piece of Hejaz heritage.
Malla stands by a line of parked century-old locomotives that once ran on the Hejaz: coal-, steam-, and diesel-powered German and Swiss engines.
“This isn’t just a rail line; these are historic treasures,” Malla said,patting the smokebox of a 1918 locomotive. “I cannot wait until we can transport the world back in time again.”