Syria Railway Rehabilitation and Modernization Project

pipeline

Prospective

Syria lies at the crossroads of major global and regional trade routes, linking Europe and East Asia and connecting Europe to the Gulf. This strategic location positions the country as a natural hub for both North–South (Europe/Turkiye–Jordan–Saudi Arabia–Gulf) and West–East (Mediterranean ports–Iraq–East Asia) trade corridors. Historically a key regional transshipment center, Syria’s recovery and renewed competitiveness will depend on restoring an efficient, integrated multimodal transport system capable of supporting both domestic reconstruction needs and regional connectivity.Syria's transport network is in a state of collapse, crippled by over a decade of conflict, the devastating 2023 earthquake, the accelerating impacts of climate change, and chronic under-maintenance. According to World Bank assessments (titled, "Syria Earthquake 2023 Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment - RDNA" and "The Syrian Conflict: Physical Damage and Reconstruction Assessment, 2011-2024), the cumulative effect has been catastrophic, particularly for the transport sector. The long-term conflict alone inflicted an estimated USD 52 billion in physical damage to infrastructure, severely impacting roads, ports, airports and railways; vital economic links and access to basic services. The subsequent February 2023 earthquake compounded this destruction, adding nearly USD 1.5 billion in new damage to the infrastructure sector, with the transport sector bearing almost 50 percent of this impact (i.e. USD 717 million). This has further degraded mobility in regions where transport networks were already decimated and diminished Syria's potential role in regional trade. Finally, it was estimated that the total cost to rebuild the nation's infrastructure to modern standards is to be around USD 82 billion according to the 2011-2024 reconstruction assessment report. The railway subsector exemplifies this widespread decay. Before the conflict, Syria operated approximately 2,550 km of rail lines; today, about 60 percent of that network is out of service. This includes the loss of historic international connections to Turkiye, Jordan, and Iraq, as well as critical domestic lines linking major cities like Aleppo and Damascus to the export ports of Tartus and Latakia. The physical ruin of the network is exacerbated by a sharp reduction in the skilled railway workforce. Despite these challenges, the Syrian government has made remarkable efforts to keep strategic links between key production areas and ports operational, though at a limited capacity. The authorities estimate that rebuilding the railway system alone will require over USD 5.5 billion as indicated by the Minister of Transport in an October 2025 interview. The Ministry of Transport also identified the immediate top priority the restoration of the corridor that connects the Al-Sharqiya phosphate mines to the export terminal at Tartus, signaling a focus on reviving critical economic lifelines.The system’s operational constraints extend beyond infrastructure to rolling stock and equipment. The mainline locomotive fleet offers limited operations, with core units operating at very low readiness, and auxiliary and shunting locomotives even at lower or non availability, severely constraining operations. Rolling stock is similarly degraded as only about half of tank wagons are operable, while passenger services have effectively ceased due to the complete unavailability of coaches and trainsets. Maintenance capacity is very limited, as most track machinery is out of service and limited spare part stock. Combined with inoperative signaling and communications systems, reduced station availability, and workforce shortages, this results in low operating speeds and high inefficiencies across the network.In this context, system constraints have translated into a sharp contraction in freight activity. Annual freight volumes have fallen from approximately 8.5–9.5 million tons prior to the revolution to a fraction of that level today, reflecting the collapse of transit traffic and the near disappearance of key bulk commodities. In particular, phosphate, which was historically one of the railway’s core revenue streams, has effectively disappeared. Before the revolution, phosphate traffic reached about 2.4 million tons in 2007 and remained above 2.1 million tons in 2010, moving from inland mines to Tartous port for export. This flow has since collapsed to negligible levels, with only marginal volumes recorded in recent years and none transported in 2025 and early 2026. As a result, current operations are largely limited to residual movements of fuel and basic commodities, underscoring the urgency of restoring the network’s capacity to carry strategic freight.Despite these challenges, the strategic relevance of rail remains compelling. Syria's value lies in two complementary corridors. The East–West corridor, linking the Mediterranean ports of Latakia and Tartus through Homs to Iraq and onward to Umm Qasr on the Gulf. The North–South corridor, connecting the European and Turkish networks through Aleppo, Homs, and Damascus down to Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and the wider Gulf. Together, these axes position the country as a natural transit hub at the crossroads of international trade. Rail offers decisive advantages on such long-distance routes—faster transit times, lower cost per ton, and improved safety relative to alternative modes—with the East–West haul, for example, been able to be completed in 24–36 hours versus 14–16 days by sea.Hence, the MoT has emphasized the urgent need to establish a solid foundation to drive economic growth through improved rail connectivity, trade facilitation, and logistics performance, leveraging the country’s strong export potential as well as by offering reliable regional and wider connectivity. To achieve such objective, challenges facing the rail sub-sector extend beyond infrastructure rehabilitation and modernization. Strengthening institutional capacity and introducing targeted reforms will be critical to maximize the impact of investments. Rail sector development is also expected to enable private capital investments, create jobs, and enhance connectivity—outcomes that are essential for the country’s recovery. In this context, supporting the rehabilitation and operational improvement of the rail sector aligns closely with the World Bank Group’s objectives to sustainably reform the sector and enable private sector participation to support long-term development opportunities in parallel to addressing immediate infrastructure and equipment needs in the Syrian post-revolution reconstruction phase.Designed as a regional integration initiative, the project's primary goal is to quickly support high priority physical rehabilitation activities, generate positive cross-border effects through rail connectivity improvements and support sustainable development through institutional reforms. In addition to the direct benefits to Syria's economy and people, this regional integration aspects could also provide Turkiye and Iraq with more reliable access to Mediterranean ports, give Jordan better access to European markets, and offer Lebanon enhanced connectivity to the wider region. Success requires coordinated action among countries to ensure harmonized standards and interoperability. Restoring critical infrastructure, incorporating traction systems and maintenance capacity, and reactivating strategic corridors are therefore central to reviving freight activity. It will strengthen domestic supply chains, enable private sector participation, and reestablish Syria’s role in trade through regional integration.The project represents the foundational phase of a future possible larger program to restore key North-South and East-West trade corridors. By addressing fragmented infrastructure and disrupted links, the investment's benefits are inherently transboundary. It will facilitate trade by reducing logistics costs, improving market access,

World Bank Group

Project

Rail, Seaport, Fertilizers, Mass Transit, Road, Government, Warehouse