Hejaz Railway Current Status and Development

Hejaz Railway Current Status and Development

Two connected sections of the main line are in service:

From Amman in Jordan to Damascus in Syria, as the Hedjaz Jordan Railway, and
From phosphate mines near Ma'an to the Gulf of Aqaba, as the Chemin de Fer de Hedjaz Syrie, or the Aqaba Railway Corporation.

Israel Railways partially rebuilt the long-defunct Haifa extension, the Jezreel Valley railway, using standard gauge, with the possibility of someday extending it to Irbid in Jordan. The rebuilt line opened from Haifa to Beit She'an in October 2016.

Saudi Arabia completed the construction of the Medina-Mecca line (via Jeddah) with the Haramain high-speed railway in 2018.

Azmi Nalshik the head of Jordan Hejaz railways said that the railways is considered a waqf, meaning it belongs to all muslims and therefore cannot be sold.

Hejaz railway Plans for the Future

On 4 February 2009 the Turkish Transport Minister Binali Yıldırım said in Riyadh that Turkey planned to rebuild its section, and called on Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Syria to come together and complete the restoration.

Also in 2009, Jordan's transport ministry proposed a 990-mile (1590-km) US$5 billion rail network, construction of which could begin in the first quarter of 2012. The planned network would provide freight rail links from Jordan to Syria, Saudi Arabia and Iraq. Passenger rail connections could be extended to Lebanon, Turkey and beyond. The government, which will fund part of the project, is inviting tenders from private firms to raise the rest of the project cost.

In November 2018, Middle East Monitor revealed Saudi-Israel's joint plans to revive the railway from Haifa to Riyadh.

Hejaz Railway Preservation and Tourist Trains

Railway mechanics have restored many of the original steam-powered locomotives: there are nine in working order in Syria and seven in Jordan.

Since the accession of King Abdullah II in 1999, relations between Jordan and Syria have improved, causing a revival of interest in the railway. The train runs from Qadam station in the outskirts of Damascus, not from the Hejaz Station, which closed in 2004 due to a major commercial development project. Trains run from Khadam station on demand (usually from German, British or Swiss groups). The northern part of the Zabadani track is no longer accessible.

Hejaz Railway Museums and Sightseeing

In 2008, the "museum of the rolling stock of Al-Hejaz railway" opened in Damascus' Khadam station after major renovations for an exhibition of the locomotives.

An exhibit on the railway's cultural heritage opened in 2019 at Darat al-Funun in Amman.

As of 2006, there is a small railway museum at the station in Mada'in Saleh in Saudi Arabia and a larger project in the "Hejaz railway Museum" in Medina, which opened in 2006. The museum, which is dedicated to the history and archeology of Medina is 90,000 square meters. The Medina Terminus was restored in 2005 with railway tracks and locomotive shed.

Small non-operating sections of the railway track, buildings and rolling stock are still preserved as tourist attractions in Saudi Arabia. The old railway bridge over the Aqiq Valley at Medina though was demolished in 2005 due to damage from heavy rain the year before.

Trains destroyed by local Arab, French, and British troops during WWI and the Arab Revolt of 1916–1918 can still be seen where they were attacked.

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 %)