Cabinet approves three railway lines on deferred payment

NAJAF / IraqiNews.com: The Iraqi minister of transport announced the approval of the cabinet to build three main railway lines on a deferred payment bases.   The lines will connect different Iraqi cities starting from Basra, south, to Zakhoo, and north towards the Turkish borders.   Minister Hadi al-Ameri said in meeting with Najaf‘s elders and sheikhs, attended by IraqiNews.com, that designs have been prepared by German and Italian companies.   The eastern axis starts from Fao, Basra, Amara, Kut, Baghdad, Baquuba, Kirkuk, Arbil, Mosul, Duhouk, Zakhoo, and will end on the Turkish borders.   The western axis begins from Basra, Nassiriya, Samawa, Najaf, Karbala, Mussaib, to Baghdad.   From Mussaib it will deviate to Anbar province, then to the Syrian borders.   The last axis, the middle,  will extend from Basra, Nassiriya, Samawa, Diwaniya, Babil, Baghdad, Salah al-Din and Mosul.   Minister Ameri pointed out that the new railway projects shall be modern and developed with a capacity of a speed of 250 km per hour.   He confirmed that the Ministry got the approval of the cabinet and the parliament to implement these projects on a deferred payment basis. These projects will make Iraq the axis for the region that connects Asia with Europe, the minister pointed out. RM (TR)/SR 980