Turkey Plans to Revive Hijaz Railway Line

The Turkish Government has started work on a plan to revive the Hijaz railway line linking Istanbul in Turkey to Mecca in Saudi Arabia, which was originally built during the Ottoman era in the 20th century.

The plan includes restoration of a 2,200km railway line passing through Turkey, Syria and Jordan to link Istanbul and Mecca, reducing the distance between the two cities to 24 hours.
The train will provide service from Istanbul and run via the Turkish cities of Adana and Othmaneya, before passing through Jordan with Medina as the train’s final destination, according to middleeastmonitor.
The high-speed rail is expected to carry more than two million passengers every year to the holy places of Hajj and Umrah, enhancing trade between the countries in the region.