This week marked the first trial run of a train linking the Syrian city of Aleppo to Hama, resuming service after a 13-year hiatus caused by the country’s turmoil.
The trial run, which took place on 6 August, was widely praised. Mohammed Hamza Abram, head of the Train Set Group, told the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) that it was “the result of comprehensive maintenance operations on trains and lines”.
He described it as a “major achievement” after years of disruption, adding that plans were in place to restore the entire railway network across Syria and eventually connect it to Turkey via Gaziantep.
The Aleppo-Hama train currently reaches speeds of up to 160 kilometres per hour, is air-conditioned, and offers facilities including a cafeteria.
Despite the successful relaunch, Abram noted several challenges hindering expansion, including a shortage of qualified technical staff and a lack of spare parts for train maintenance. He called for urgent support to ensure the project’s continuation and growth.
Another Train Set Group official, Mohammed Khair Abdul Salam, told SANA that workshops had been working over the past three months to repair stationary trains, restore infrastructure, and fix railway lines.
In the coming months, industry experts plan to restart the Aleppo-Homs train service.
The Aleppo-Hama line was shut down in 2012, a year after protests against the Assad regime were met with a violent crackdown. Military operations and clashes rendered vital transport routes inoperable, disrupting passenger and freight movement between the north and south of the country.
The route passed through towns that saw heavy fighting, including Khattab in Hama, Abu al-Duhr in Idlib, and Mashrafat al-Marij in Aleppo. Large sections of track were destroyed, stations and control centres were damaged, and carriages and maintenance depots were looted.
Local media, citing government documents, reported that the closure was not solely due to damage but also because many areas along the route remained outside government control for extended periods.
Since 2011, Syria’s railways have suffered an estimated $1.5 billion in damage, with the Aleppo railway network accounting for 55 percent of the total, according to SANA.
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