SANA The Syrian Hijaz Railway celebrated its centennial marking running of the first train between Damascus and Medina. Prime Minister Mohammad Naji Ottri underlined importance of this festivity which coincides with the festivity of Damascus, Capital of Arab Culture 2008.
"To commemorate this occasion poses an incentive to restore the dream started from this place a hundred years ago that was embodied by al-Hijaz railway project, which is, by all standards, a leading and vital project." Otri said.
He added that this project shortened distances, approached the Arab territories, broke the isolation, encouraged the communication and put the Arabs on the road to modernity and benefiting from the fruits of science and achievements of civilization and industry since the early 20th century.
Ottri indicated that despite change of the circumstances and facts and development of contemporary modes of transport, al-Hijaz railway remains the project that deserves attention and an initiative to renew and revive its course due to the social, cultural and tourist benefits resulting from running and investing this railway.
Meanwhile, Secretary General of Arab Union for Railways Morhaf Saboni pointed out to the efforts made by Syria to develop railway transport and link railways in the Arab countries to each other to enable peoples to move and transport commodities and products via it. The Hejaz Railway (also Hedjaz ) was a narrow gauge railway (105 cm ) that ran from Damascus to Medina, through the Hejaz region of Arabia.
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