Service type Inter-city rail First service 1924 | Status Operating Current operator(s) CFH, HJR | |
Locale Southern Syria, northern Jordan Start Qaddam Station, Damascus | ||
The Damascus-Amman International Train commonly referred to International Train is a train service operating on the former Hedjaz Railway from Damascus, Syria to Amman, Jordan. It is currently the only passenger train operating in Jordan. The train operates on narrow gauge tracks of 1,050 mm (3 ft 5 11⁄32 in).
Contents
History
The Hedjaz Railway opened in 1908 by the Ottoman Empire from Damascus to Medina. Service was suspended during World War I. After the war only the Damascus-Ma'an section re-opened. In 1924, the International Train ran its first trip from Hejaz Train Station in Damascus to Ma'an. Since 1960 the train only ran from Damascus to Amman. Diesel Locomotives became the primary power after 1976.
Gauge
In 2008 it was announced that the HJR and the CFH were planning to convert the line from narrow gauge to standard gauge.