Baghdad-Syrian border railway past halfway as work continues

HIT — Rehabilitation of the railway line linking Baghdad to Al-Qaim on the Syrian border has passed the halfway mark, with the track now operational along the 180-kilometer stretch between Baghdad and Hit while work continues on the remaining western sections, railway officials said.

Hamed Hussein, director of the Western Region Railways, told 964media that work between Hit and Al-Baghdadi in western Anbar has reached 85 to 90% completion. The main remaining obstacle is the Wadi Fatm bridge, around 20 kilometers from Hit station, which requires another five months to finish. “That bridge is the final separating point for completing this phase of the project,” Hussein said.

The full line, known as the Baghdad–Al-Qaim–Akashat railway, runs nearly 400 kilometers through Fallujah, Ramadi, Hit, Al-Haqalaniya and Husaybah before reaching Akashat near the Syrian border. Rehabilitation began about a year ago. Engineering teams overcame significant challenges posed by desert terrain and the absence of paved roads, requiring heavy machinery and extensive soil leveling.

Officials expect the railway to become an important economic corridor intersecting with Iraq’s Development Road project, with possible linkage points near Karma west of Baghdad. Local officials in Anbar hope the line will support cargo movement including phosphate transport and links to Iraqi ports, alongside passenger services connecting Hit, Fallujah, Ramadi and other western cities to Baghdad.

The project is part of broader efforts to restore transport and trade links with Syria. Iraq reopened the Al-Waleed and Rabia border crossings in 2026, while the Al-Qaim crossing resumed full activity following earlier security-related closures.