CHUGGING A LONG

Categorized | Construction & Engineering, Transportation

Iraq to Rebuild Rail System


Posted on 12 May 2013. Tags: Iraqi Railways, Rail, Railway




Plans to revive Iraq’s rail system are gaining pace, reports Reuters.

Last year the railway company opened a 32-km line between
Mussayab [Musayyib, Musayyab], south of Baghdad, and the holy city of
Kerbala to transfer hundreds of thousands of pilgrims during Shi’ite
religious festivals.

It is also building a new railway parallel to the old Baghdad-Basra
line at a cost of about $700 million; the line is due to be in service
by the end of this year.

Currently only around 250 passengers travel on Iraq’s railways on
most days, but when the new Baghdad-Basra line is finished, the number
could jump to between 2,000 and 3,000, officials say.

A line connecting Baghdad with Mosul is still out of service, but
according to the report, transport officials hope to begin renovating it
next year.

In December, Iraqi Railways signed a $115-million contract to import ten trains from China, each carrying up to 450 passengers and running at up to 140-160 km/hr.

Iraq currently has about 2,000 km of railway lines and hopes
eventually to increase this to 10,000 km of dual-track railways, with
electrified trains running at up to 200-250 km/hour that would connect
all major Iraqi cities with neighbouring countries.

Mohammed Ali Hashem, manager of the projects department in the
railway company, said the goal was to unload goods from Asia at southern
Iraqi ports and transport them through the northern Iraqi city of Zakho
into Europe via Turkey, avoiding the Suez canal.

He envisions around 25 million tonnes of goods passing through Iraq
annually once the rail projects are completed at an estimated cost of
more than $60 billion over five years.

(Source: Reuters)