Damascus–Amman train

3 ft 5+11⁄32 in)Track owner(s)CFH, JHR

The Damascus–Amman train or Damascus–Amman railway is an international train service operating on the former Hedjaz Railway from Damascus, Syria to Amman, Jordan. It is currently the only passenger train operating in Jordan. The train operates on narrow gauge tracks of 1,050 mm (3 ft 5+11⁄32 in).

History

The Hedjaz Railway opened in 1908 by the Ottoman Empire from Damascus to Medina. Service was suspended during World War I. After the war only the Damascus-Ma'an section re-opened. In 1924, the International Train ran its first trip from Hejaz Train Station in Damascus to Ma'an. Since 1960 the train only ran from Damascus to Amman. Diesel Locomotives became the primary power after 1976.

Gauge

In 2008 it was announced that the HJR and the CFH were planning to convert the line from narrow gauge to standard gauge.

See also

  • Hejaz railway
  • Syrian Railways, the state railway operation