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Türkiye, Syria and Jordan have agreed to revive the historic Hejaz railway line, a top official said on Tuesday, marking a major step toward restoring regional connectivity and preserving shared heritage.
“The historic Hejaz Railway is being revived,” Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu said in a statement.
The agreement was reached during a tripartite meeting held earlier this month in Amman, according to Uraloğlu.
The three countries reached a preliminary agreement on a draft memorandum of understanding (MoU) that outlines comprehensive cooperation in transportation infrastructure, he said.
As part of the initiative, Türkiye will assist in completing 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) of missing superstructure on the Syrian segment of the railway.
Jordan, meanwhile, will assess its technical capacity to support the maintenance, repair and operation of locomotives within Syria.
The three countries also plan to conduct joint technical studies aimed at enhancing Türkiye’s access to the Red Sea via Jordan’s Port of Aqaba.
Additionally, road transport between Türkiye and Jordan through Syria is set to resume after a 13-year suspension due to the civil war that ended in December with the ousting of longtime dictator Bashar Assad.
“While preserving our region’s historical heritage, we are also establishing strong cooperation in international transport corridors,” Uraloğlu said.
“We will continue to work toward a shared future in transportation.”
Originally constructed between 1900 and 1908 under Ottoman Sultan Abdulhamid II, the Hejaz railway line stretched approximately 1,750 kilometers, linking Istanbul to the Islamic holy cities of Mecca and Medina, as well as Damascus and parts of Yemen.
Designed to facilitate pilgrimage to Mecca, the railway also served strategic military and administrative purposes, bolstering Ottoman control over distant provinces.
The line featured engineering feats such as stone viaducts, desert stations and narrow-gauge tracks adapted to harsh terrain. Though largely dismantled or damaged during World War I and subsequent conflicts, portions of the railway remain intact and have long been the subject of restoration efforts.
