Transport denies reaching a final agreement with the World Bank on the railway grant
The Ministry of Transport clarified that the news circulating about the allocation of $200 million from the World Bank to finance railway development projects in Syria is inaccurate, stressing that this file is still under ongoing discussions and no final agreement has been reached on it so far.
In a statement published on its official Telegram channel on Friday, the ministry indicated its keenness to provide the public with accurate and reliable information, and its commitment to the principle of transparency in following up on all developments related to the transport sector. It confirmed that it will announce any official developments in this regard as soon as they occur.
The Ministry of Transport pointed out that any potential international support aimed at developing the transport sector will be channeled through the relevant diplomatic channels. This support aims to contribute to the development of infrastructure, enhance the efficiency of transport networks, and link production areas to industrial centers and ports, which in turn supports economic activity and benefits citizens.
On the 20th of this month, the Ministry of Transport revealed to SANA that it is in continuous talks with the World Bank with the aim of obtaining financial support to finance a number of infrastructure projects in the railway sector, in order to enhance the efficiency of this vital sector and accelerate the pace of economic recovery, within the framework of joint cooperation between the two sides.
Sources in the Ministry talked about the international grant
The director of land transport at the Ministry of Transport, Ali Esper, indicated in a statement to the Syrian newspaper Al-Watan that there are talks with the International Monetary Fund to obtain a financial grant for the development of the rail transport sector worth more than $200 million, provided that it is fully allocated to rehabilitate infrastructure, supply locomotives and equipment, and raise the efficiency of the ministry's cadres and the General Corporation for Railways.
Esper stressed that coordination with the World Bank has made great strides in allocating the grant, which is "one of the largest international grants" allocated to the rail transport sector, indicating that the development plan submitted to the International Monetary Fund in the field of railways includes linking productive areas to industrial centers with the aim of reducing transportation costs and enhancing competitiveness and sustainability, in line with the requirements of the economic recovery phase.
The government official said that work is underway to prepare the necessary studies to reactivate the main railway axes, especially those linking Syria with neighboring countries, in addition to links linking seaports to dry ports to be ready for operation as soon as funding is available.
Syria, Turkey and Jordan develop a train network connecting the Gulf to Europe
Turkey, Syria and Jordan agreed on April 7, 2026, to modernize their railway networks with the aim of establishing a corridor linking southern Europe to the Arabian Gulf, where the construction of this network is expected to take between four and five years, after which it will be connected to Saudi Arabia's railway system.
This came in statements made by Turkish Transport Minister Abdulkadir Oraloglu to the economic website "Bloomberg" on Wednesday, April 15, 2026, without providing details about the financing of the project, saying only that discussions on this matter are still ongoing.
The Syrian Ministry of Transport has been conducting a comprehensive technical assessment of the road between the Nasib crossing on the Jordanian border and the Bab al-Hawa crossing on the Turkish border, according to the Minister of Transport, Yarub Badr, with the aim of an accurate engineering diagnosis of the reality of the road from various technical aspects, in preparation for the launch of a comprehensive rehabilitation project that raises its level to international standards, and in proportion to the volume and density of the expected transit traffic during the next phase in the context of the executive procedures to implement the agreement signed with Jordan and Turkey.
Syria discusses activating the "transit" line with Iraq, Turkey
The Syrian Railways General Corporation agreed on a work program with a specific timetable, with the province of Al-Hasakah, to overcome obstacles and put the "transit" line connecting the Turkish and Iraqi borders into service as quickly as possible, as it has a direct impact on supporting imports and stimulating international transport.
The Syrian Ministry of Transport reported on Monday, April 13, 2026, that the Director of the Syrian General Corporation for Railways, Osama Haddad, visited Al-Hasakah in the context of an integrated plan to activate the railway sector and develop its performance in the province as an important step towards rail linkage with Iraq, where he inspected the readiness of the train station in Al-Hasakah and its equipment, and inspected the condition of locomotives, tankers and machinery in them to assess the needs of immediate maintenance.
Turkey completes rehabilitation of railway line with Syria
Turkey, through the Minister of Transport, announced on Monday, April 13, the completion of renovation works on a number of railway lines on the border with Syria, after equipping them with more robust and robust infrastructure and superstructure.
The Turkish minister explained that the renovation operations included the railway lines between Qarqamish and Nusaybin with a length of 325 kilometers, and Mardin and Schneyurt with a length of 25 kilometers, and the reopening of the track to train traffic.
He pointed out that the works carried out on the two railway lines were not just maintenance, but a comprehensive renovation process that meets the needs accumulated for many years, indicating that they have completed the maintenance and repair works that were not completed during the period between 2011 and 2024 along the 350-kilometer line.