World Bank Allocates $200 Million Grant to Rehabilitate Syria's Railway Network

Ministerial Meeting with the World Bank

Syrian Transport Minister Yarob Badr met with World Bank Middle East Director Dr. Dalia Khalifa to discuss strengthening cooperation on rail transport and advancing projects to rehabilitate and develop Syria's railway network. The meeting followed an earlier session held on 21 July via video conference, during which the minister and a World Bank team discussed mechanisms for implementing railway sector development projects and rebuilding the sector's infrastructure.

The $200 Million Grant and Its Allocation

The Ministry of Transport announced in April the allocation of approximately $200 million through a World Bank grant to finance railway infrastructure development projects. The funding targets four main areas:

• Modernising the rail network and rehabilitating priority corridors
• Purchasing new locomotives and equipment
• Maintaining existing rolling stock
• Building the capacity of staff at the ministry and the General Establishment of Syrian Railways

Khalifa affirmed the World Bank's commitment to supporting Syria in developing a multimodal transport system, stating that completing partnership framework requirements and securing the necessary financial resources would allow the project to be presented to the Bank's board of directors at the earliest opportunity. She also noted that currently available resources could be used to fund technical studies, feasibility studies, procurement support, financial management, and project preparation.

Container Rail Transport Study

The two sides discussed a proposal by CMA-CGM to conduct a study on transporting containers by rail from the Latakia port container terminal to dry ports in Aleppo, Homs, and Damascus, alongside exploring the possibility of developing a public-private partnership to implement the project.

Current Network Condition and Damage Assessment

Syria's railway network extends approximately 2,800 kilometres, comprising 2,500 kilometres of standard-gauge lines and 300 kilometres of narrow-gauge lines. Of this total, only around 1,000 kilometres remain operational, with the remainder requiring rehabilitation works. Minister Badr estimated total damage to the railway sector at approximately $5.5 billion. He stated during the Syrian-American Forum on 13 July that 2025 represents a phase for addressing damage, with the second half of 2026 expected to see the start of strategic project implementation.

Regional Rail Connectivity Outlook

The minister disclosed that the transport ministries of Syria and Saudi Arabia are in contact to explore cooperation on regional rail connectivity projects. The proposed vision involves linking Turkey and Europe through Syria and Jordan to Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states, with the aim of enhancing economic integration and facilitating the movement of goods and passengers between participating countries.