Iraqi train to Turkey through Syria

The first Iraqi passengers train started its trip on Friday to transport passengers to Turkey through the Syrian territories following a suspension that lasted for 20 years.

The director general of the Iraqi railways Abdul Razzaq al-Ani told reporters before the train had started its trip that resuming transportation of train came as a result of an agreement between the railways establishments in Iraq, Syria and Turkey.

Al-Ani explained that the train will run an area of 1100 kilometers as from the starting point in Baghdad to the Turkish Ghazi Intab railway station at a time not to exceed 23 hours. He continued that the train will run three regular trips and it included two accommodation caravans with each of 24 beds.

On May 9 this year, the director general of the Turkish railways establishment Jahed Sweller announced in Baghdad that Turkey and Iraq agreed during talks held in Ankara in January this year to resume regular train trips between the two countries to transport persons and commodities.