Jordan pursues plan for national rail network

Jordan pursues plan for national rail network

Jordan is pushing ahead with plans to build a nation-wide rail network that could be linked to rail networks in other countries, the Transport Ministry has said. In a report published by the Jordanian Arabic language daily Al-Rai on Wednesday, the Ministry said nearly 95 percent of a project study has been completed. It said the project, which involves the construction of 1,000-km (605-mile) rail lines, would be executed as a joint venture between the government and the private sector. “The project aims to connect various governorates and cities in Jordan as well as with neighboring countries…it aims to open up new commercial and investment lines for the country and boost the competitiveness of Aqaba Port in South Jordan,” it added. The report said the project includes 120 kph passenger and freight trains and it would be linked in phase 1 to rail networks in the Syria, Iraq and the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), and then with Europe and Asia. (Writing by Nadim Kawach; Editing by Anoop Menon) ( [email protected] )