To receive more news, subscribe to our channel on Telegram
Baghdad – INA – Nour Al-Zaidi
The General Directorate of Railways, affiliated with the Ministry of Transport, announced today, Wednesday, that progress has been achieved regarding the preliminary design plans for the development road, and indicated that work on the development road is ongoing for 16 hours a day.
The director of the railways, Younis Al-Kaabi, told the Iraqi News Agency (INA): “The development road is now going through the initial design stage for the railway and the highway after we completed at the beginning of last year the preliminary and final feasibility study, and the Italian company is continuing its work, with follow-up by Prime Minister Muhammad Shiaa Al-Sudani and Minister Transport, the Iraqi railway team and the rest of the formations,” stressing that “work on the path of development is underway at a rate of 16 hours a day.”
Al-Kaabi added, “There are topographic surveying and soil investigation companies that have completed approximately 1,000 km of the railway route, and approximately 600 km of soil investigations remain for this road,” noting that “work is underway and there is progress regarding completing the preliminary design plans, and we are working diligently with the Iraqi intelligence.” And the Iraqi ministries to end the path of conflicts with the development road plans, as two governorates have already signed minutes of non-conflict, and we have 4 to 5 governorates ready to sign the minutes during the current week or next week.”
He continued, “The specifications of the development road are European specifications, as the final destination of the development road is Turkey and the European market. Therefore, the designs were based on the international specifications of the International Union of Railways,” noting that “the Iraqi railways were basically built on British specifications, which are European specifications, and therefore we will work on these specifications, as We will modernize the signaling, communications and other systems related to existing technology.”
Regarding the contract to purchase new trains, Al-Kaabi explained that “the stage of purchasing trains comes in conjunction with the construction of the development road, as it will be completely different from what we have, as we currently operate with diesel trains, while the development road will operate with clean energy, that is, with electricity from freight trains, freight trains, and passengers, all of which operate.” “With electric power,” he pointed out, “Contracts will be made with major international companies, according to the companies designed, as the passenger trains will be fast, at a speed of 300 km per hour, while the goods trains will be 120 to 140 km per hour, and also run on electric power.”
He pointed out that “the development road provides a dual service, including transporting goods from ports and industrial cities into Iraq, as well as through other countries to Turkey and European countries through the Turkey Gate.”
