Iraq plans to operate high-speed trains
Trains sit on a railway track in Iraq. Photo: Transport Ministry
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – The Iraqi Ministry of Transport announced on Wednesday that it is planning to import high-speed trains that can reach speeds of 300 kilometers per hour to attract more travelers, the Iraqi News Agency (INA) reported.
These trains are expected to start operating by 2028, with the inauguration of the Al-Faw Grand Port and the Development Road.
The Director of the Railways Department in the Transport Ministry, Younis Al-Kaabi, revealed that the price of the train ticket from Baghdad to Basra will be 10,000 dinars (approximately $7.63), a very low price compared to other means of transportation.
Al-Kaabi elaborated that 80 percent of the tickets are sold out, adding that the number of train trips has increased to four daily trips on holidays.
The Iraqi official stressed that there are plans to cooperate with the private sector to improve the services provided to passengers in trains, noting that this step will increase the demand for travelling in trains and reduce the journey time between Baghdad and Basra to six hours on direct trips.
Al-Kaabi confirmed that the railway between Baghdad and Fallujah will be opened soon, after more than two years of stoppage due to the Corona pandemic.
The railway official explained that work is ongoing to rebuild the destroyed bridges in cooperation with the World Bank, the concerned authorities and the Ministry of Transport.
The Iraqi official added that the railway between Baiji and Al-Qaim will be reopened soon as it will transport oil derivatives between Baiji and Haditha refineries, noting that the Development Road project will provide the necessary infrastructure for these trains.