Railway line connected to development road via Fishkhabour ready, official says
Shafaq News / The Iraqi Ministry of Transport announced on Thursday that the Turkish side informed them of the readiness of the railway line to link it to the Development Road via Fishkhabour.
During the joint Iraqi-Turkish committee meetings in Baghdad from November 21st to 22nd, both sides agreed on truck entry into Iraqi territory and vice versa, adhering to regulations between the two countries. They also agreed to activate transit transport concerning land transportation after completing technical aspects, according to a statement issued by the ministry.
The statement quoted the Director of the Iraqi State Company for Railways, Yunus Khalid Jawad, saying that the committee agreed to exchange expertise between the two countries in the field of inspection, loading, unloading methods at ports, and storage mechanisms at the ports. He highlighted Iraqi cooperation in transporting dangerous goods, perishable materials, training, and collaboration in the civil aviation transport sector.
Moreover, the Turkish side communicated that the railway line has been developed to be ready for connection to the Development Road via Fishkhabour. Both sides also agreed to convene a meeting of the Road Transport Association in the second half of next year in Turkey to discuss road and land transport between the two countries.
In mid-September last year, the Minister of Transport, Razzaq Al-Saadawi, held an extensive meeting in Baghdad with the Turkish Minister of Transport and Infrastructure, Abdulkadir Uraloğlu, and his accompanying delegation, to discuss the Development Road project. At that time, the Turkish Transport Minister affirmed his country's support and readiness to provide any assistance that strengthens the relationship and cooperation between the two countries.
Uraloğlu stated that "the Development Road will be the golden medal among those corridors," pointing out that "the Turkish government has worked on forming a coordinating council with several European countries regarding the Development Road, and thus, we hope that there will be another coordinating council including Iraq and the region's countries."
The Development Road project is estimated at $17 billion to link the important port "Port of Al-Faw" for commodities on the southern Iraqi coast to the Turkish border through the extension of a railway network and roads.
The Development Road aims to connect the oil-rich southern Iraqi port of Al-Faw to Turkey, transforming the country into a transit hub to significantly reduce travel time between Asia and Europe in an attempt to compete with the Suez Canal. The Iraqi government envisions high-speed trains transporting goods and passengers at speeds up to 300 kilometers per hour, in addition to extending lines to local industrial and energy centers, possibly including oil and gas pipelines.
According to the plans, major transport routes will be linked to the main port of Al-Faw on the Gulf shores through the update and construction of over 1,200 kilometers of railways and highways connecting Iraq to neighboring countries.
