The train back track within two years?

Source: Nida Al Watan

At a time when rail connectivity projects (trains) are accelerating in neighboring countries, Lebanon’s railway file, whose network extends over 403km, has returned to the forefront. This renewed attention signals that bringing the train back onto the tracks is no longer impossible; it is merely awaiting the “whistle” of security and political stability. The Railway and Public Transport Authority is laying the groundwork after receiving official backing from both the Presidency and the government. It has embarked on removing encroachments, rehabilitating stations and preparing studies. Is the return of rail transport to Lebanon now imminent? And what is its economic feasibility?

Within a carefully considered approach that respects legal and institutional frameworks, an agreement has been reached between the Port of Tripoli and the Railway and Public Transport Authority, with the participation of the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, to prepare a feasibility study on the possibility of establishing a railway line linking the Port of Tripoli to the Lebanese-Syrian border. This line is one of the components of what is known as the “ESCWA Corridor,” which Lebanon signed onto in 2003; an overarching conceptual framework for economic and logistical corridors in the Arab Levant.

The railway line connecting the Port of Tripoli to the Lebanese-Syrian border is not new. It previously existed and is considered part of the historic infrastructure that once linked the port to the Syrian city of Homs, before operations ceased decades ago due to war and neglect.

The project aims to reduce transportation costs, enhance transit activity and connect Lebanese ports to the Arab hinterland. However, it remains to this day within the realm of studies and ideas not yet accompanied by an executive decision, given the political and security challenges Lebanon faces.

The renewed discussion of railways, if it indicates anything, reflects a conviction among Lebanese officials that rail transport is a national, commercial, and practical necessity that must be revived. The campaign to remove encroachments on railway property, carried out by the Railway and Public Transport Authority, is progressing rapidly, as explained by the Authority’s Director General, Ziad Chayya. Through his meetings with the Presidents of the Republic and the Government, as well as the Minister of Public Works, he has secured support and endorsement, along with the necessity of moving forward with studies to put trains back on track once security and political conditions stabilize.

The process of removing encroachments is advancing with momentum, alongside the initiation and updating of studies to assess the condition of the tracks and the feasibility of resuming rail transport. As for the implementation phase and infrastructure preparation, these await “security and political stability,” Chayya told Nidaa Al-Watan. He did not rule out putting trains back on the tracks within two years, in response to a question about the possibility of execution and launching work on the network within that timeframe, noting that “once security and political conditions stabilize, implementation could even begin within days.”

Will transport be limited to freight?

Rail transport will not be limited solely to commercial freight. Once the train whistle is sounded, and given that stations still exist in most Lebanese regions the railway once passed through, passenger transport will also be launched, either in parallel or at a later stage.

“The course of matters is on track,” says Chayya, who has prepared his file, toured it among officials, and received support and backing.

The study is based on several points. First, the railway was launched in 1895, and it is shameful not to address this issue at least at the strategic level. The first pillar is the removal of encroachments. The second is adopting a strategic vision and developing a plan that identifies the importance of routes the train should take across Lebanese regions, based on priority, economic and financial feasibility, and environmental impact through specific studies.

Based on the studies and proposals submitted by the Railway Authority, cooperation with the Council for Development and Reconstruction will result in a detailed study covering:

- The Tripoli-Aboudieh line, which is vital to the Port of Tripoli.

- The importance of launching the line between the Port of Beirut and the Bekaa Valley, extending to Damascus and linking it to the wider world.

In this way, the necessary preparatory steps will be completed in the interim, forming the basis for the moment when a decision is taken.

As for the dozens of encroachments being removed, starting in the Jounieh area in cooperation with municipalities, they do not cost the Authority financially. On the contrary, they may generate revenue, as the Authority can invest in its land without infringing on railway property or its role in rail and transport operations, through activities such as advertising or leasing spaces that do not involve permanent structures, such as parking lots.

The Tripoli-Aboudieh line

Regarding the Tripoli-Aboudieh line, Chayya explains: “There is an old study conducted in cooperation with the Port of Tripoli that is being updated to reflect current realities. The Tripoli-Aboudieh track has no value unless it is connected to the Syrian hinterland. For this reason, coordination is underway between the relevant administrations in both countries, which share intentions to establish cross-border connectivity, with each side working on its respective territory. The rails have been present at the Port of Tripoli since 2004 and are being inspected by more specialized experts to verify their usability. Implementation depends on security and political stability, noting that many international companies are interested in investing in Lebanon’s transport sector, so there is no concern regarding financing.”

Economic feasibility

Reviving rail transport would naturally have a positive impact on the economy in general and on freight in particular. It could also stimulate rural areas academically, industrially, and touristically, in addition to revitalizing the ports of Tripoli and Beirut. How?

Carlos Neffaa, President of the “TRAN TRAN” Association, outlined to Nidaa Al-Watan the economic repercussions of restoring public transport through railways:

- It would reduce the oil bill, which amounts to around $4 billion annually, a large portion of which is spent on transport.

- It would lower housing costs, as residence is currently concentrated in Greater Beirut, which has become overcrowded and expensive. In light of the ongoing financial crisis, there is no longer a housing bank or institution offering housing loans, and purchasing power to own an apartment in Beirut has declined. There is an urgent need to link Lebanese cities and villages via railways so that citizens can return to living in their villages while working in urban centers.

- Using trains instead of trucks and cars would reduce pollution levels and, consequently, the very high incidence of cancer in Lebanon due to air pollution, along with associated healthcare costs.

- There is also the “university bill”: improving universities should not be achieved by opening branches, whether private or public, but by linking them through rail and public transport, making it easy to travel from any region in Lebanon to any university. This would strengthen university hubs, particularly the Lebanese University and faculties such as medicine, helping them flourish as centers of excellence and contributing to rural development.

- Industries could also be relocated to distant regions. Reviving the Baalbek-Qaa line, for example, would allow food industries to be established in remote areas, sourcing raw agricultural materials locally, processing them there, and transporting finished products by rail to the ports of Tripoli and Beirut for export at low cost.

In this context, Neffaa noted: “The cost of transporting cement by rail from Chekka to Beirut was $2.5, compared to $10 by truck, based on 1996 figures, directly affecting construction costs.”

As for food industries, operating trains would enable the establishment of food-processing plants in distant regions such as Baalbek-Hermel, providing jobs for young people and revitalizing agriculture. Today, producing food industries in those areas is nearly impossible because transport costs to the ports of Tripoli and Beirut via trucks are prohibitively high.

- The container handling capacity of the Port of Beirut is about 1.5 million containers annually without improvement, while the Port of Tripoli’s maximum capacity is around 600,000 containers. Currently, port activity largely consists of transshipment rather than transit toward Iraq, Syria, and the Gulf, causing Lebanon to lose significant revenues.

If the ports of Beirut and Tripoli are reconnected by rail, as they were 130 years ago, transit operations could generate substantial revenues for Lebanon; especially as Gulf countries, including Saudi Arabia, seek to interconnect through freight railways. Lebanon is currently outside the Arab transit movement, which reached an estimated volume of $240 billion according to 2017 statistics.

The Syrian government is seeking to sign agreements with Turkey and Jordan to link the Turkish-Syrian-Jordanian line with the Saudi-Gulf line. It is therefore crucial not to miss this regional opportunity, as happened 130 years ago with the Hijaz Railway.

Neffaa believes that “there is today a regional opportunity to link Europe with the Arabian Gulf and to connect the ports of Beirut and Tripoli to the Gulf via the Syrian line, which has begun to be revived.”

Reviving railways and linking ports to the Arab hinterland is not merely a nostalgic return to a beautiful past; it is an investment in a productive economy, a cleaner environment, and balanced development that reconnects cities with villages and people with job opportunities. As studies are completed, encroachments removed and the groundwork prepared, the question remains suspended on the track of stability: will Lebanon seize this regional opportunity before its train passes once again, or will it remain “waiting for the train,” as written on the walls of its stations?