AMMAN, 19 April 2008 — Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Syria signed an agreement to conduct a joint study aimed at reviving Hijaz Railway that linked the three countries.
The accord was signed by Jordanian Transport Minister Alaa Batayneh and his Saudi and Syrian counterparts, Jabara Al-Seraisry and Yarob Badr.
Officials from the three countries, which have an agreement dating back to 1966 concerning the joint administration of the railway, met on the issue for the first time in seven years. “The Hijaz Railway, which began operation in 1908 during the reign of the Ottoman Empire, for carrying pilgrims to Makkah, needs to be revived with modern international railway standards,” Batayneh told reporters.
The facility is currently used for ferrying passengers and transporting goods between Amman and Damascus, he added.
