Transportation: a plan to import trains at a speed of 300 km per hour and to enter service in 2028

Baghdad-INA  
The Ministry of Transport announced today, Wednesday, a plan to attract the number of passengers by train, while pointing to the imminent opening of the Baghdad-Fallujah and Baiji-Qaim railways.
 
The Director General of Railways affiliated to the Ministry, Younis Khalid Jawad Al-Kaabi, told the Iraqi News Agency (INA): "The price of a train ticket from Baghdad to Basra amounts to 10,000 dinars, which is a low price compared to other means of transportation," noting that "the trips start on a daily basis and at a rate of operating exceeds 80 percent.
 
He explained, "On occasions and holidays, the number of trips is doubled to reach 4 full daily trips," pointing out that "there are plans to cooperate with the private sector in order to raise the level of service by passenger trains, which will lead to an increase in demand for train travel and shorten the journey time between Baghdad and Basra." to 6 hours of direct trips without stops and services comparable to the world, while prices remain constant.
 
Al-Kaabi stressed, "Baghdad-Fallujah railway line is about to open after it was stopped due to the Corona pandemic," noting that "full preparations for the opening of the line are to serve the people of Anbar Governorate, and work is underway to complete the destroyed bridges by preparing modern plans for it reconstruction in cooperation with the World Bank, the province and the railway staff."
 
He added, "Work continues on a daily basis to restore the line linking Baiji and Al-Qaim, and soon it will be opened," noting that "this line is dedicated to goods and will serve important sectors and transport oil derivatives between Baiji and Haditha refineries."
 
Al-Kaabi added, "The movement is towards importing express trains with a capacity of 300 km per hour," stressing that "the development road will provide the necessary infrastructure for such trains, and according to what is planned, the trains will be available and operating in Iraq in the year 2028 in conjunction with the start of the port of Faw and the development road."