Syria, Jordan Seek to Restart Historic Hejaz Railway Line

Asharq Al-Awsat

6 hours ago

Cooperation between Syria and Jordan in the fields of economy, trade, and transport has taken a significant leap forward since the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime late last year, with the latest development marked by an agreement to hold a meeting aimed at reviving the historic Hejaz railway line.
The joint Syrian-Jordanian technical committee on land transport concluded a two-day meeting in Amman on Wednesday, focusing on boosting bilateral relations, particularly in land transport, a vital sector supporting trade and people's movement, Syria's state news agency SANA reported.
A key topic was linking Damascus and Amman by rail. Both sides agreed to hold a soon-to-be-scheduled technical meeting with relevant authorities to explore the feasibility of reopening the Hejaz railway line, initially for freight transport.
The committee also agreed to reduce and unify transit fees to 2 percent in both countries, down from Jordan's previous 5 percent charge. The Jordanian delegation underscored the importance of facilitating the passage of transit trucks across both territories and pledged to remove any technical or procedural obstacles to enhance trade flow and regional economic integration.
This renewed cooperation follows years of suspension due to the former Syrian regime's policies.
Meanwhile, Syria's General Authority for Land and Sea Borders announced on Wednesday it had reached an agreement with Jordanian authorities to cancel the $115 diesel tax previously imposed on Syrian trucks entering Jordanian territory, making the measure reciprocal.
In April, Zahi Khalil, Director-General of the Jordanian Hejaz Railway Foundation, announced plans to launch tourist train trips from Jordan to Syria, passing through historic stations along the border. The proposed route would start at Amman's Hejaz station, pass through Zarqa and Mafraq, cross into Syria via the Jaber border, and terminate at Damascus' Al-Qadam station, the last stop on the Hejaz line.
Khalil noted that Syrian counterparts would handle maintenance within Syria, while technical and security challenges, especially line interruptions inside Syria, are still being addressed.
The Hejaz railway, built during the reign of Ottoman Sultan Abdul Hamid II, is a 1,050- mm-wide gauge rail connecting Damascus to Madinah. Constructed between 1900 and 1908 to serve Muslim pilgrims and consolidate Ottoman control, it was operational until World War I, with construction costs initially estimated at 3.5 million Ottoman lira, supplemented by donations from within the empire and other Islamic countries.
The line's route follows the traditional pilgrimage path from Syria's Hauran region through Daraa into Jordan, continuing to Madinah, shortening pilgrimage travel time from 40 days by camel to just five days by rail.
The surge in Syria-Jordan cooperation in economic, trade, and transport sectors reflects a broader effort to reshape bilateral relations on economic grounds, aiming for sustained long-term collaboration after Assad's fall.
In late May, Damascus and Amman inaugurated the 'Higher Coordination Council' following a visit by Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi to Syria, where he met with his Syrian counterpart, Asaad al-Shabaan. This came after Jordan's Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Supply announced on February 27 the resumption of operations at the Syria-Jordan joint free zone.
In early June, Amman's chambers of commerce president Khalil al-Haj al-Tawfiq reported a sharp rise in trade exchange with Syria, driven by economic openness and reconstruction efforts, describing trade figures as unprecedented.
Between mid-December 2024 and late May 2025, 55,566 trucks entered Jordan through the Jaber border crossing, including 30,154 Jordanian, 5,768 Syrian, and 19,644 foreign trucks. Outbound trucks totaled 59,788, comprising 21,574 exports and 36,805 transit trucks from other centers, with 1,409 empty trucks.
These developments follow a long period of border tension under the previous Syrian regime, when border areas became hubs for smuggling drugs, weapons, and militants. Such activities have declined since the regime's downfall.
Abed Fadliya, an economics professor at Damascus University, told Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper that Syrian-Jordanian economic and trade ties have noticeably improved over recent months thanks to joint government efforts.
'Geographically, Jordan is one of Syria's most important neighbors due to its openness and its role as a gateway for Syrian goods and people to most Arab countries, especially the Gulf states with which Syria maintains close cooperation across several sectors, particularly trade and investment,' Fadliya said.
He added that Jordan is among the key Arab countries that have distinguished relations with Syria, alongside Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar, emphasizing the need for sustained government efforts to cement these ties on a stable political foundation framed by bilateral agreements.