Iraq is planning to announce a 90-kilometre express railway project connecting the holy cities of Karbala - Najaf soon, a statement by the transport ministry said, quoting Minister Razzaq Muhaibis Al –Saadawi.

The Minister said initial studies have been completed, and the ministry will work with consultancy firms to finalise the details.

According to the Ministry’s press statement:

  • The Najaf-Karbala express train project comprises four main stations starting from Najaf Airport, passing through Karbala Airport, and ending at Baghdad Bus Station in Karbala city.
  • The project will reduce the travel time between the two cities to 20 minutes and transport up to 25,000 passengers per hour
  • The trains will run on elevated bridges at speeds of 240 km/hour.

The statement said the General Company for Iraqi Railways(GCIR) Director Yunus Khaled Jawad Al-Kaabi signed consultancy contracts for the project, on behalf of Minister Saadawi, with the Malaysian consortium of ConsultantHSS (CHSS) and HSS Engineers Berhad (HEB) in the presence of Iraqi Prime Minister Mohamed Shia Al -Sudani.

(Writing by Majda Muhsen; Editing by Anoop Menon)

(anoop.menon@lseg.com)

Subscribe to our Projects' PULSE newsletter that brings you trustworthy news, updates and insights on project activities, developments, and partnerships across sectors in the Middle East and Africa.