Damascus, Sept. 16 (SANA) Transport Minister Yarub Badr held talks in Damascus with a World Bank mission on Tuesday on cooperation in Syria’s transport sector, focusing on plans to rehabilitate railways, upgrade infrastructure and explore public-private partnerships.
The meeting reviewed plans and implementation mechanisms for rehabilitating and developing the railway sector, as well as the legal and operational frameworks needed to maximize the benefits of railway projects for Syrians.
Strategy to Revive Syria’s Railway Network
Badr said the ministry was working on a comprehensive strategy to revive the railway sector and restore its role as a regional transport link.
The strategy seeks to make better use of existing infrastructure and identify economically viable corridors capable of generating revenue that could be used to support and modernize the wider network.
Badr said the ministry welcomed private-sector participation in railway operations and investment while safeguarding the rights of the Syrian state.
World Bank representatives outlined areas of support for the project, including financing studies to develop institutional and operational frameworks and assistance with rehabilitating railway tracks, signaling systems, locomotives and maintenance equipment.
Support would also include training and capacity-building for Syrian personnel.
The two sides agreed to complete technical cost estimates and coordinate preparations for advance procurement procedures. They also agreed to build on studies and technical work already prepared by the General Establishment of Syrian Railways.
Public-Private Partnership
The talks also addressed a proposal by CMA CGM to conduct a study on transporting containers by rail from the container terminal at Latakia Port to dry ports in Aleppo, Homs and Damascus.
The two sides discussed the possibility of developing a public-private partnership to implement the project.
Badr said the transport sector was important to Syria’s economic recovery and its connectivity with neighboring countries, adding that the ministry was preparing a national policy for sustainable, multimodal land transport alongside its strategy for railway development.
MHD
