Hejaz Railway

Hejaz Railway (سكة حديد الحجاز)

حجاز دمیریولی (Ottoman Turkish)

The Hejaz railway (also spelled Hedjaz or Hijaz or in Arabic: سِكَّة حَدِيد الحِجَاز sikkat ḥadīd al-ḥijāz or Arabic: الخَط الحَدِيدِي الحِجَازِي, Ottoman Turkish: حجاز دمیریولی, Turkish: Hicaz Demiryolu was a narrow-gauge railway (1,050 mm / 3 ft 5+11⁄32 in track gauge) that ran from Damascus to Medina, through the Hejaz region of modern day Saudi Arabia, with a branch line to Haifa on the Mediterranean Sea. The project was ordered by the Ottoman sultan in March 1900.

It was a part of the Ottoman railway network and the original goal was to extend the line from the Haydarpaşa Terminal in Kadıköy, Istanbul beyond Damascus to the Islamic holy city of Mecca. However, construction was interrupted due to the outbreak of World War I, and it reached only to Medina, 400 kilometres (250 mi) short of Mecca. The completed Damascus to Medina section was 1,300 kilometres (810 mi).

The main purpose of the railway was to establish a connection between Istanbul, the capital of the Ottoman Empire and the seat of the Islamic Caliphate, and Hejaz in Arabia, the site of the holiest shrines of Islam and Mecca, the destination of the Hajj annual pilgrimage. Other objectives were to improve the economic and political integration of the distant Arabian provinces into the Ottoman state, and to facilitate the transportation of military forces.

Hejaz Railway History

Prior to the construction of the line, it took 40 days from Damascus to Medina. The railway shortened the time to 5 days.

Hejaz Railway Construction

Hejaz Railway Project: Survey

Railways were experiencing a building boom in the late 1860s, and the Hejaz region was one of the many areas up for speculation. The first such proposal involved a railway stretching from Damascus to the Red Sea. This plan was soon dashed however, as the Amir of Mecca raised objections regarding the sustainability of his own camel transportation project should the line be constructed.

Ottoman involvement in the creation of a railway began with Colonel Ahmed Reshid Pasha, who, after surveying the region on an expedition to Yemen in 1871–1873, concluded that the only feasible means of transport for Ottoman soldiers traveling there was by rail. Other Ottoman officers, such as Osman Nuri Pasha, also offered up proposals for a railway in the Hejaz, arguing its necessity if security in the Arabian region were to be maintained.

Hejaz Railway Funding and Symbolism

Many around the world did not believe that the Ottoman Empire would be able to fund such a project: it was estimated the railway would cost around 4 million Turkish lira, a sizeable portion of the budget. The Ziraat Bankasi, a state bank which served agricultural interests in the Ottoman Empire, provided an initial loan of 100,000 lira in 1900. This initial loan allowed the project to commence later the same year. Abdulhamid II called on all Muslims in the world to make donations to the construction of the Hejaz railway. The project had taken on a new significance. Not only was the railway to be considered an important military feature for the region, it was also a religious symbol. Hajis, pilgrims on their way to the holy city of Mecca, often didn't reach their destination when travelling along the Hejaz route. Unable to contend with the tough, mountainous conditions, up to 20% of hajis died on the way.

Abdulhamid was adamant that the railway stand as a symbol for Muslim power and solidarity: this rail line would make the religious pilgrimage easier not only for Ottomans, but all Muslims. As a result, no foreign investment in the project was to be accepted. The Donation Commission was established to organize the funds effectively, and medallions were given out to donors. Despite propaganda efforts such as railway greeting cards, only about 1 in 10 donations came from Muslims outside of the Ottoman Empire. One of these donors, however, was Muhammad Inshaullah, a wealthy Punjabi newspaper editor. He helped to establish the Hejaz railway Central Committee. The BBC said the project was funded completly by donations.

Hejaz Railway Arab Opposition

The Emir Hussein bin Ali, Sharif of Mecca viewed the railway as a threat to Arab suzerainty, since it provided the Ottomans with easy access to their garrisons in Hejaz, Asir, and Yemen. From its outset, the railway was the target of attacks by local Arab tribes. These were never particularly successful, but neither were the Turks able to control areas more than a mile or so either side of the line. Due to the locals' habit of pulling up wooden sleepers to fuel their camp-fires, some sections of the track were laid on iron sleepers.

Prior to the construction of the line, it took 40 days from Damascus to Medina. The railway shortened the time to 5 days.

In September 1907, as crowds celebrated the rail reaching Al-'Ula station, a rebellion organized by the tribe of Harb threatened to halt progress. The rebels objected to the railway stretching all the way to Mecca, they feared they would lose their livelihood as camel transport was made obsolete. It was later decided by Abdulhamid that the railway would only go so far as Medina.

Hejaz Railway Overview

Hejaz railway Other Name(s): Hejaz railway
سكة حديد الحجاز (Arabic)
حجاز دمیریولی (Ottoman Turkish)
Hejaz railway Native Name: Arabic: سِكَّة حَدِيد الحِجَاز
Ottoman Turkish: حجاز دمیریولی
Hejaz railway Locale: Southern Syria, Jordan, northern Saudi Arabia
Hejaz railway Termini:
Damascus
Medina
Hejaz railway Operator(s) :
Hedjaz Jordan Railway, Chemin de Fer de Hedjaz Syrie
Hejaz railway Opened: 1908
Hejaz railway Closed: 1920
Hejaz railway Track Length: 1,320 km (820 mi)
Hejaz railway Track Gauge: 1,050 mm (3 ft 5+11⁄32 in)
Hejaz railway Minimum Radius: 100 m (328 ft)
Hejaz railway Maximum Incline: 1.8 ‰ (0.18 %)