The first experimental freight train from Latakia port to Adra Industrial Station in Rural Damascus arrived on Tuesday, May 19, after a 14-year halt on this route, according to Syria’s official news agency SANA.
The Ministry of Transport published on its official accounts on May 16 that the General Establishment for Syrian Railways in Latakia was continuing technical work to launch the first freight trip toward Adra.
The ministry explained that the ongoing work included maintenance of freight cars, adjusting railway track measurements, removing weeds and obstacles from the track, and conducting loading and unloading tests to ensure the line’s technical readiness before the first trip.
The experimental train was operated after an agreement reached on April 29 between the Directorate of Syrian Railways and the Latakia Container Terminal. The agreement aimed to enhance the logistical efficiency of rail transport and discuss mechanisms to develop container transport from the seaport in Latakia to the dry port in Adra, Rural Damascus, to overcome logistical challenges, speed up import and shipping operations, and stimulate trade activity.
First Grain Train on the Aleppo Latakia Line
On January 25, the railway line saw the reopening of the Latakia Aleppo route for grain transport after a halt of nearly 15 years, since 2011.
The first trip at the time departed carrying 1,500 tons of grain from Latakia port to Aleppo’s mills and silos, passing through Homs and Hama, after the railway was maintained and the silos branch line was rehabilitated.
Mohammad al-Hajji, assistant director of the Syrian Railways branch in Latakia, told SANA at the time that operating the line reduces wear on road infrastructure, noting that the main challenges are the deterioration of infrastructure and the shortage of locomotive engines.
This coincided with a tour by Khaled Mohammad Abdulrahman, assistant director of equipment and traction at the establishment, to the Tartous branch to follow up on the maintenance of locomotives and freight cars in the equipment and traction department.
Transport Minister Yarub Badr revealed earlier that about 1,800 kilometers of Syria’s railway network are damaged out of a total length of 2,800 kilometers. He explained that only about 1,000 kilometers remain operational, while the World Bank has allocated $50 million to develop railways in Syria.
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